OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between sympathetic remodeling and electrical remodeling at the infarcted border zone (IBZ) of rabbit with chronic myocardial infarction (MI).

METHODSThirty rabbits were randomly assigned into two groups: MI group (n = 20): ligation of the anterior descending coronary; sham operation (SO) group (n = 10): without contrary ligation. Eight weeks after surgery, transmural dispersion of repolarization (TDR) at baseline, during sympathetic nerve stimulation, TDR change (DeltaTDR) during sympathetic nerve stimulation and ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) were measured at the IBZ in MI group and corresponding zone in SO group. The distribution and densities of growth associated protein 43 (GAP43) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive nerves in ventricle were also detected with immunohistochemical techniques.

RESULTSEighteen rabbits in the MI group and 10 in the SO group survived to the end of the study. The densities of GAP43 and TH at the IBZ in the MI group were significantly higher than that at the corresponding zone in the SO group (both P < 0.05). The densities of GAP43 and TH in MI rabbits positively correlated with TDR at baseline, TDR or DeltaTDR during sympathetic nerve stimulation (all P < 0.01) and both showed a weak negative correlation with VFT (r =-0.44, P = 0.07; r = -0.41, P = 0.09, respectively).

CONCLUSIONSympathetic remodeling is correlated with electrical remodeling at the IBZ in rabbits with chronic MI.

Action Potentials ; Animals ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Sympathetic Nervous System ; physiopathology

Objective To assess the effect of preoperative administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) on the hidden blood loss in the surgery of intertrochanteric fractures with proximal femoral nail anti-rotation (PFNA).Methods Eighty patients with intertrochanteric fracture were treated with PFNA in our hospital from November 2015 to July 2016.They were 15 men and 65 women,with a mean age of 72.6 years.Of them,39 were included into TXA group where TXA was administered preoperatively and 41 were assigned into the control group where no TXA was used preoperatively.Blood routine examinations were carried out on one day before operation,the first and third days after operation.The surgical blood loss,operative blood transfusion,24-hour drainage after operation,and postoperative 3-day blood transfusion were recorded.The total and hidden blood losses were calculated according to the formula.The 2 groups were compared in terms of blood loss and complications.Results In TXA group,the total blood loss (1,632.3 ± 849.2 mL),the hidden blood loss (1,270.9 ± 623.3 mL) and the transfusion rate (28.2％) were significantly lower than those in the control group (2,014.8 ± 924.7 mL,1,549.1 ± 624.9 mL and 56.1％) (P ＜ 0.05).There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in visible blood loss (361.4 ± 154.3 mL for TXA group versus 465.7 ± 191.3 mL for the control group) (P ＞ 0.05).Deep venous thrombosis occurred in 2 patients,limb swelling in one patient and wound dehiscence in one patient in TXA group while deep venous thrombosis occurred in one patient,limb swelling in 3 patients and wound dehiscence in none in the control group,showing no significant differences between the 2 groups (P ＞ 0.05).No infection was observed in either group.Conclusion Preoperative administration of TXA can reduce surgical hidden blood loss and transfusion rate as well but will not increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis in the surgery of intertrochanteric fractures with PFNA.

Objective To evaluate the value of S-Detect technology of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of thyroid tumors. Methods Ninety-three thyroid tumors in 93 patients were enrolled in the group.A varied image features of the thyroid masses in gray-scale ultrasonography were analyzed by S-Detect technology and experienced doctor separately.The results were compared and the diagnostic ability were also compared between the two methods. Results There were 44 malignant tumors and 49 benign tumors in these thyroid nodules.The sensitivity of S-Detect technology in the diagnosis of thyroid malignant tumors was higher,up to 88.7%. In the five image features of the thyroid tumors in gray-scale ultrasonography,the result of composition of the mass obtained by S-Detect was the most consistent with that of the doctors and Kappa value was 0.89.Conclusions S-Detect is a kind of computer-aided diagnosis system,which is suitable for the ultrasound beginners in the diagnosis of thyroid tumors.

OBJECTIVE: Tiny cerebral aneurysms are difficult to embolize because the aneurysm's sac is too small for a single small coil, and coils within the aneurysm may escape from the confinement of a stent. This study was performed to introduce the stent-assisted coil-jailing technique and to investigate its effect on the coil embolization of tiny intracranial aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with tiny intracranial aneurysms treated with the stent-assisted coil-jailing technique between January 2011 and December 2013 were retrospectively reviewed and followed-up. RESULTS: All aneurysms were successfully treated with the coil-jailing technique, and at the end of embolization, complete occlusion of the aneurysm was achieved in 9 cases (56.3%), incomplete occlusion in 6 (37.5%), and partial occlusion in 1 (6.3%). Intraprocedural complications included acute thrombosis in one case (6.3%) and re-rupture in another (6.3%). Both complications were managed appropriately with no sequela. Follow-up was performed in all patients for 3-24 months (mean, 7.7 months) after embolization. Complete occlusion was sustained in the 9 aneurysms with initial complete occlusion, progressive thrombosis to complete occlusion occurred in the 6 aneurysms with initial near-complete occlusion, and one aneurysm resulted in progressive thrombosis to complete occlusion after initial partial occlusion. No migration of stents or coils occurred at follow-up as compared with their positions immediately after embolization. At follow-up, all patients had recovered with no sequela. CONCLUSION: The stent-assisted coil-jailing technique can be an efficient approach for tiny intracranial aneurysms, even though no definite conclusion regarding its safety can be drawn from the current data.
Adult ; Aged ; Cerebral Angiography ; Embolization, Therapeutic/*instrumentation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm/pathology/*therapy ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Stents ; Treatment Outcome

To evaluate the efficiency and safety between Wenxin Granule and antiarrhythmic drugs in the treatment of atrial fibrillation(AF). A total of 8 major electronic databases(CNKI, WanFang, VIP, CBM, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, EMbase) were retrieved since the establishment of the database to January 10, 2019. Two reviewers extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies. The Meta-analysis was made by RevMan 5.3 software. Finally, 42 studies involving 4 657 patients were included. The results of Meta-analysis showed that compared with antiarrhythmic drug, the combined administration with Wenxin Granule and antiarrhythmic drug had a better clinical efficiency(OR=3.37, 95%CI[2.69,4.22],I~2=0%,P<0.000 01)and efficacy on cardioversion(OR=2.32,95%CI[1.67,3.22],I~2=0%,P<0.000 01), with reduction in P_d(MD=-5.48,95%CI [-7.32,-3.64],I~2=0%,P<0.000 01)and P_(max)(MD=-9.91,95%CI[-12.86,-6.95],I~2=0%,P<0.000 01). The comparison between the combined application with Wenxin Granule and the single application of amiodarone showed a clinical efficiency(OR=2.89,95%CI[1.96,4.26],I~2=44%,P<0.000 01),and efficacy on sinus rhythm maintenance(OR=2.58,95%CI[1.82,3.66],I~2=3%,P<0.000 01). The comparison between the combined application with Wenxin Granule and the single application of amiodarone showed a clinical efficiency(OR=0.88,95%CI[0.53,1.46],I~2=0%,P=0.63). The combined treatment with Wenxin Granule has a better clinical efficiency in AF better than amiodarone, with no evidence for more benefits from the single administration with Wenxin Granules.
Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; pharmacology ; Atrial Fibrillation ; drug therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Electric Countershock ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinical results of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty in treating old fracture of proximal humerus in elderly patients. METHODS: From January 2012 to December 2017, 12 elderly patients with old proximal humeral fractures were treated with reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. There were 5 males and 7 females with an average age of 70.2 years old (ranged from 63 to 81 years old) and an average course of 12.3 months (ranged from 9 to 18 months). VAS score was used to evaluate the degree of pain relief of shoulder joint, Constant-Murley score was used to evaluate the improvement of shoulder joint function and observe the complications during and after operation. RESULTS: All the 12 patients were followed up with an average duration of 22.3 months (ranged from 15 to 56 months). At the latest follow-up, the VAS score was 1.9±1.4, and Constant-Murley score was 83.4±8.4. Among them, shoulder joint flexion was (92.5±7.7)°, abduction was (90.4±14.3)°, external rotation was(31.9±10.0)°, and internal rotation was(58.9±13.1)°. There was statistical significance before and after treatment(<0.05). There were 2 cases with glenoid notch. The imaging findings were grade I and grade II respectively. No loosening was found during follow-up. No infection, acromial fracture, prosthesis loosening, axillary nerve injury and other complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty in treating old proximal humeral fractures in elderly patients can achieve satisfactory results, however, indications and complications should be noted.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Shoulder ; Female ; Humans ; Humerus ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Fractures ; surgery ; Shoulder Joint ; Treatment Outcome

Radix Astragali (RA), a traditional Chinese medicine from the dried root of Astragalus species, is widely distributed throughout the temperate regions of the world. The major bioactive constituents of RA are triterpene glycosides, flavonoids, saponins, and alkaloids, and these compounds mostly exert pharmacological activities on the cardiovascular, immune, respiratory, and hepatic systems. This review summarizes the recent studies on RA and provides a comprehensive summary regarding the status of resources, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, clinical application, and patent release of RA. We hope this review can provide a guidance for further development of therapeutic agents from RA.

Adult ; Aged ; Cathartics ; therapeutic use ; Colonoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Patient Education as Topic ; Prospective Studies ; Software

OBJECTIVES: To study the significance of E-cadherin and the association between E-cadherin methylation status and prognosis in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) by examining the mRNA and protein expression of E-cadherin and its gene methylation status in bone marrow mononuclear cells of children with ALL. METHODS: The samples of 5 mL bone marrow blood were collected from 42 children with ALL who were diagnosed for the first time at diagnosis (pre-treatment group) and on day 33 of induction chemotherapy (post-treatment group). RT-qPCR, Western blot, and methylation-specific PCR were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression of E-cadherin and the methylation level of the E-cadherin gene. The changes in each index after induction chemotherapy were compared. RESULTS: The mRNA and protein expression levels of E-cadherin in the post-treatment group were significantly higher than those in the pre-treatment group (P<0.05), while the positive rate of E-cadherin gene methylation in the post-treatment group was significantly lower than that in the pre-treatment group (P<0.05). At the end of the test, the children with negative methylation had significantly higher overall survival rate and event-free survival rate than those with positive methylation (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS E-cadherin expression is associated with the development of ALL in children, and its decreased expression and increased methylation level may indicate a poor prognosis.
Child ; Humans ; Cadherins/genetics* ; DNA Methylation ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/genetics* ; Prognosis ; RNA, Messenger