OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of atorvastatin combined with methylprednisolone on the liver function of ne-phrotic syndrome patients. METHODS:The data of 93 patients with primary nephritic syndrome were retrospectively analyzed and divided into atorvastatin group,methylprednisolone group and combination group by different medication. Atorvastatin group was orally given atorvastatin 20 mg at bedtime,once a day+aspirin;methylprednisolone group was orally given methylprednisolone 0.8 mg/kg in the early morning,once a day+aspirin;combination group was given atorvastatin+methylprednisolone+aspirin(the same usage and dosage with the above-mentioned groups). The course was 4 weeks. The clinic data was observed,including ALT,AST, GGT,TB and DB before and after treatment,the incidence of patients with drug-induced liver disease and prognosis of patients with drug-induced liver disease. RESULTS:After treatment,the ALT,AST and GGT in atorvastatin group and combination group were significantly higher than before,with significant difference(P<0.05);compared with other parameters and all indexes in methylprednisolone group before and after treatment,there were no significant differences(P>0.05). There was no significant dif-ference in the elevated rate of ALT among groups(P>0.05);the incidence of drug-induced liver disease in combination group was significantly higher than atorvastatin group and methylprednisolone group,with significant difference(P<0.05). ALT in combina-tion group was significantly decreased and returned to pretreatment levels after atorvastatin withdrawal and 2 weeks of hepatoprotec-tants treatment for 7 patients with drug-induced liver disease. CONCLUSIONS:Atorvastatin combined with methylprednisolone has high risk on liver function in the treatment of nephrotic syndrome. Pretreatment levels can be recovered by both drug withdrawal and symptomatic treatment.

Objective To investigate the correlation between QRS amplitudes and left ventricular wall thickness in autopsy specimens of elderly men.Methods The data of autopsy cases in our hospital since 1990 were retrospectively analyzed.The cases with QRS duration≥0.12 s and the pacing electrocardiogram were excluded.QRS amplitudes of standard 12-lead electrocardiography in 3 months before death were measured and the correlation between QRS amplitudes and left ventricular wall thickness was analyzed in the elderly men.Results Correlations were found between the amplitudes of the R waves in leads V5 ,V6, Ⅰ ,aVL[(1.1±0.7) mV, (0.95±0.6) mV, (0.44±0.3)mV and(0.35±0.3)mV] and left ventricular wall thickness[(13.6±5.4)mm;r=0.22,0.14,0.22,0.23,all P<0.05], and between the combination of QRS amplitudes SV1 +RV5 or RV6(1.9±1.2) mV] and left ventrieular wall thickness [(13.8± 5.4) mm; r = 0.23, P < 0.05].The correlationbetween the combination of QRS amplitudes (SV1 + RV5 or RV6 ) and left ventricular wall thickness was the strongest in 60-79 years old cases (r=0.48, P<0.01) ,and was decreased in 80-89 years old cases (r= 0.23, P<0.05).There was no correlation between the combination of QRS amplitudes (SV1+RV5or RV6) and left ventricular wall thickness in 90-101 years old cases (r= 0.03, P> 0.05).Conclusions Electrocardiogram is a reliable method for diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy in elderly men aged < 90 years.

Objective:To investigate the effects of survivin inhibitor YM155{1-(2-methoxyethyl)-2-methyl-4,9-dioxo-3-(pyrazin-2-ylmethyl)-4,9-dihydro-1H-naphtho[2,3-d] imidazolium bromide} on cell viability,apoptosis and Cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-3,Cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-8,Cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-9 of the thyroid carcinoma cell line B-CPAP in order to discuss mitochondrial mechanisms of apoptosis.Methods: B-CPAP cells were cultured in vitro and treated with YM155 at various concentrations(0,0.5,1,2,4,8 nmol/L)for 24,48 and 72h.The cell viability of B-CPAP cells were measured by CCK-8 assay.B-CPAP cells were randomly divided into 4 groups:B-CPAP cells were treated with YM155 at various concentrations(0,1,2 nmol/L)and 5 μmol/L Cisplatin(the positive control group)for 24 h.The effects of YM155 on B-CPAP cells apoptosis were evaluated by TUNEL and flow cytometry Annexin V-FITC/PI method.The expression level of Survivin and Caspase-3,Caspase-8 ,Caspase-9 were detected by Western blot analysis.Results: Compared with the 0 nmol/L group,YM155 significantly inhibited the cell viability of B-CPAP cells and induced their apoptosis (P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with the 0 nmol/L group,YM155 significantly reduced the expression level of Survivin and upregulated Caspase-3,Caspase-8 ,Caspase-9(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Conclusion: YM155 can inhibit the cell viability of B-CPAP cells and induce apoptosis,its possible mechanisms maybe related to upregulated expression level of Caspase-3,Caspase-8 and Caspase-9.

Objective:To assess the cardiac autonomic nervous function in elderly patients with frailty.Methods:Patients aged ≥ 65 years old admitted in Beijing Hospital from September 2018 to August 2019 were enrolled in this study. Clinical frailty score was used to assess the frailty. The cardiac autonomic modulation was evaluated by sinus heart rate turbulence analysis through 24 h electrocardiogram recording.Results:A total of 129 elderly patients were finally enrolled in this study with a mean age of (77.5±6.4) years, 58.1% of them were male. There were 53 patients in frail group and 76 patients in non-frail group. The age of the frailty group was significantly higher than that of the non-frailty group [(80.5±5.5) vs.(75.3±6.2)]; the prevalence of hypertension [84.9%(45/53)], heart failure [32.1%(17/53)] and peripheral vascular diseases [32.1%(17/53)] in the frailty group was significantly higher than that in the non-frailty group [65.8%(50/76), 1.3%(1/76), 17.1%(13/76); t=5.001, χ 2=5.879, 24.606, 3.921; all P<0.05]. Compared with non-frailty group, turbulence onset (TO) [-0.05(-0.92, 0.82)% vs. -0.74(-1.58, 0)%; Z=2.616, P=0.009] was significantly higher in frailty group, while turbulence slope (TS) [2.34(1.30, 5.00)ms/RR vs. 4.34(2.66, 6.39)ms/RR; Z=-3.048, P=0.002] was significantly lower. The rate of TO abnormality [49.1% (26/53) vs. 26.3%(20/76), χ 2=7.038, P=0.008] and TS abnormality [34.7%(29/53) vs. 21.0%(16/76); χ 2=15.579, P<0.001] in the frailty group was significantly higher than that in the non-frailty group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that TO abnormality( OR=2.970, P=0.010, 95 %CI:1.300-6.785) and TS abnormality( OR=3.618, P=0.003, 95 %CI:1.565-8.364) were correlated with frailty. Conclusion:Cardiac autonomic nerve function may be impaired in elderly frail patients, and decreased vagal nerve tension may be presented.

Objective:To assess the correlation between frailty and cardiac autonomic nervous system function in elderly patients.Methods:Elderly hospitalized patients aged 65 years and over were enrolled and assessed for frailty by using the clinical frailty scale.Cardiac autonomic modulation was evaluated by heart rate variability analysis through 24 h electrocardiogram recording.Results:A total of 180 elderly patients were enrolled in this study, including 66 patients with frailty and 114 patients without frailty.The mean age of the frailty group was higher than that of the non-frailty group(79.8±6.0 vs.75.0±6.3, t=5.030, P<0.001). The proportions of patients with hypertension, stroke/transient cerebral ischemia attack(TIA), heart failure and osteoarthritis were higher in the frailty group than in the non-frailty group(all P<0.05). Compared with the non-frailty group, the standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals(SDNN)[103.0(76.0, 121.2) vs.107.5(92.0, 136.0), Z=-2.108, P=0.035], the standard deviation of the averages of NN intervals in all 5-min segments(SDANN)[86.0(67.7, 106.5) vs.97.5(78.0, 126.0), Z=-2.694, P=0.007], normalized low frequency(LFnorm)(53.1±13.0 vs.59.3±13.9, t=-3.024, P=0.003)and low frequency/high frequency(LF/HF)ratio[1.2(1.0, 1.4) vs.1.4(1.1, 1.7), Z=-3.041, P=0.002]were decreased and normalized high frequency(HFnorm)(36.8±9.2 vs.32.2±10.7, t=3.033, P=0.003)was increased in the frailty group.HFnorm in the frailty group was significantly higher than that in the non-frailty group.The incidents of SDANN<92 ms, LFnorm<50 nU, HFnorm>32 nU and LF/HF ratio<1.5 were higher in the frailty group than in the non-frailty group(59.1% or 39/66 vs.41.2% or 47/114, 42.4% or 28/66 vs.22.8% or 26/114, 72.7% or 48/66 vs.49.1% or 56/114, 84.8% or 56/66 vs.65.8% or 75/114, χ2=5.346, 7.660, 9.547, 7.664, P=0.021, 0.006, 0.002, 0.006). Logistic multivariate regression analysis showed that LFnorm, HFnorm and LF/HF ratio were correlated with frailty( OR=0.971, 1.039 and 0.333, all P<0.05), and HFnorm>32 nU and LF/HF ratio<1.5 were risk factors for frailty( OR=2.401 and 2.773, both P<0.05). Conclusions:Cardiac autonomic nerve system function is impaired in elderly frail patients, with the imbalance between the sympathetic and vagus nerves.Therefore particular attention should be paid to heart rate variability in elderly patients with frailty.

The aquatic grass Zizania latifolia grows symbiotically with the fungus Ustilago esculenta producing swollen structures called Jiaobai, widely cultivated in China. A new disease of Z. latifolia was found in Zhejiang Province, China. Initial lesions appeared on the leaf sheaths or sometimes on the leaves near the leaf sheaths. The lesions extended along the axis of the leaf shoots and formed long brown to dark brown streaks from the leaf sheath to the leaf, causing sheath rot and death of entire leaves on young plants. The pathogen was isolated and identified as the bacterium Pantoea ananatis, based on 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing, multilocus sequence analysis (atpD (β-subunit of ATP synthase F1), gyrB (DNA gyrase subunit B), infB (translation initiation factor 2), and rpoB (β‍-subunit of RNA polymerase) genes), and pathogenicity tests. Ultrastructural observations using scanning electron microscopy revealed that the bacterial cells colonized the vascular tissues in leaf sheaths, forming biofilms on the inner surface of vessel walls, and extended between vessel elements via the perforated plates. To achieve efficient detection and diagnosis of P. ananatis, species-specific primer pairs were designed and validated by testing closely related and unrelated species and diseased tissues of Z. latifolia. This is the first report of bacterial sheath rot disease of Z. latifolia caused by P. ananatis in China.
Pantoea/genetics* ; Plant Diseases/microbiology* ; Poaceae/microbiology* ; Virulence