The aim of the present study is to investigate the protective effect of chrysin (5,7-dihydroxyflavone) on right ventricular remodeling in a rat model of monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PAH rats were induced by a single injection of monocrotaline (60 mg x kg(-1), sc) and were administered with chrysin (50 or 100 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) for 4 weeks. At the end of experiment, the right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) were monitored via the right jugular vein catheterization into the right ventricle. Right ventricle (RV) to left ventricle (LV) + septum (S) and RV to tibial length were calculated. Right ventricular morphological change was observed by HE staining. Masson's trichrome stain was used to demonstrate collagen deposition. The total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in right ventricle were determined according to the manufacturer's instructions. The expressions of collagen I, collagen III, NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) were analyzed by immunohistochemisty, qPCR and (or) Western blot. The results showed that chrysin treatment for 4 weeks attenuated RVSP, mPAP and right ventricular remodeling index (RV/LV+S and RV/Tibial length) of PAH rats induced by monocrotaline. Furthermore, monocrotaline-induced right ventricular collagen accumulation and collagen I and collagen III expression were both significantly suppressed by chrysin. The expressions of NOX4, NF-κB and MDA contents were obviously decreased, while the T-AOC was significantly increased in right ventricule from PAH rats with chrysin treatment. These results suggest that chrysin ameliorates right ventricular remodeling of PAH induced by monocrotaline in rats through its down-regulating of NOX4 expression and antioxidant activity, and inhibiting NF-κB expression and collagen accumulation.

OBJECTIVETo observe the inhibiting effect of acupuncture on blood lipid, myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis in mice with hyperlipemia, and explore its possible action mechanism.

METHODSTen inbred mice (C57) were applied. Forty ApoE(-/-) mice who removed gene of apolipoprotein E were randomly divided into a control group, a non-acupoint group, an acupoint group and a medication group. The points 0. 5 cm and 1 cm next to the end of mice tail were respectively punctured in the non-acupoint group; "Neiguan" (PC 6) and "Fenglong" (ST 40) were punctured in the acupoint group; intragastric administration of simvastatin was applied in the medication group. After 8 weeks of treatment, the changes of total cholesterol (TC) and ratio of heart to body mass in each group were measured; changes of cardiac muscle fiber and ventricular wall thickness were observed; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to test the level of angiotensin II (Ang I ) in plasma, and western blotting method was used to test protein content of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and endothelin-1 type A receptor (ETAR) in the heart.

RESULTSAfter 8 weeks of intervention, compared with the control group, rising range of blood lipid was obviously decreased (P<0.01) in the acupoint group and medication group, ratio of P<0.01), myocardial heart to body mass was decreased (P<0.05), thickness of ventricular wall was reduced (P fibrosis was relieved, levels of Ang II and ET-1 in plasma were decreased (P<0. 05), content of NO was increased (P<0. 05), and protein content of AT1R and ETAR was decreased in the heart (P<0. 05).

CONCLUSION40) could inhibit the rising of blood lipid in ApoE(-/-) mice, lower the levels of Ang II and ET-1 in peripheral blood, increase the content of NO and inhibit the expression of AT1R and ETAR in heart tissue, which could relieve myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis to play a protective role on heart.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Angiotensin II ; metabolism ; Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Disease Models, Animal ; Heart ; physiopathology ; Heart Diseases ; etiology ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; complications ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Myocardium ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the value of transvaginal ultrasound for the diagnosis of endometrial polyps .Methods The ultrasonographic characteristics in 56 cases of endometrial polyp diagnosed by transvaginal ultrasound were performed the retro-spective analysis and the situation of the hysteroscopic examination in consistent with the pathological examination was analyzed . Results Among 56 cases ,50 cases of endometrial polyps were verified by the pathological examination ,the coincidence rate of transvaginal ultrasound diagnosis was 89 .3% ,in which 6 cases were misdiagnosed with the misdiagnosis rate was 10 .7% . Conclusion The transvaginal ultrasound has the high accuracy rate for diagnosing endometrial polyps .

Objective To clarify the effectiveness of QS Nd ∶ YAG laser on melasma in Chinese patients.Methods A group (n=45) of patients previously diagnosed as facial melasma were treated with QS Nd ∶ YAG laser at approximately 1 week intervals.Eleven to twenty treatments were per formed for each patient.The treatment efficacy of QS Nd ∶ YAG laser was evaluated by patients and doctors,respectively,at various time point such as before treatment,5 weeks and 10 weeks after treatment and end of the treatment.The skin melanin index and the transepidermal water loss were e valuated by the skin multifunction tester at different time point,respectively.Results Compared with untreated,the melanin index of melasma areas decreased significantly after the laser treatment for 5 weeks,10 weeks and the end of treatment.But there was no significant difference in the melanin index of normal skin areas with or without laser treatment.Compared with untreated,the transpidermal water loss of melasma areas increased significantly after the laser treatment for 5 weeks,10 weeks and end of treatment.The patients' skin became smooth,delicate,pores shrink and more flexible.In 45 melasma patients treated by QS Nd ∶ YAG laser,8 cases basically cured (17.78 ％),25 cases were markedly effective (55.56 ％),12 cases improved (24.44 ％) and only 1 case was uneffective (2.22 ％).Theoverall effective rate was 73.33 ％.Conclnsions QSNd∶ YAG laser is a useful treatment modality for Chinese women who have melasma with precise efficacy,less side effects and high safety.

Objective To reproduce an SD rat model of prostatic calculus by using nanobacteria (NB), and explore the role of NB in contributing to prostatitis and prostatic calculus. Methods Twenty adult male SD rats were randomized to the control group and 20 to the model group. Rat prostate infection models were reproduced by infusing 0. 2 ml (Concentration, 1 Mai unit) NB suspension transurethrally. 0.2 ml physiological saline was infused transurethrally in the rat control group. The rats were sacrificed 4 and 8 weeks later and prostatic pathology were viewed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Lithogenesis was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) or Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Re-isolation, culture and identification of nanobacteria were also done in rat prostatic tissues. Results Chronic inflammatory changes of prostates were shown in the model group at both 4 weeks and 8 weeks after infusing NB suspension. Prostatic calculi were detected by SEM and TEM at 8 weeks in the prostates of the rat model group (7/10). Neither chronic inflammatory changes nor prostatic calculus was found in the control group. NB was positive in the model group, but negative in the control group. Conclusions NB infection could cause chronic prostatitis and prostatic calculus in rats.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the protective effect of chrysin (5,7-dihydroxyflavone) on right ventricular remodeling in a rat model of monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PAH rats were induced by a single injection of monocrotaline (60 mg x kg(-1), sc) and were administered with chrysin (50 or 100 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) for 4 weeks. At the end of experiment, the right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) were monitored via the right jugular vein catheterization into the right ventricle. Right ventricle (RV) to left ventricle (LV) + septum (S) and RV to tibial length were calculated. Right ventricular morphological change was observed by HE staining. Masson's trichrome stain was used to demonstrate collagen deposition. The total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in right ventricle were determined according to the manufacturer's instructions. The expressions of collagen I, collagen III, NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) were analyzed by immunohistochemisty, qPCR and (or) Western blot. The results showed that chrysin treatment for 4 weeks attenuated RVSP, mPAP and right ventricular remodeling index (RV/LV+S and RV/Tibial length) of PAH rats induced by monocrotaline. Furthermore, monocrotaline-induced right ventricular collagen accumulation and collagen I and collagen III expression were both significantly suppressed by chrysin. The expressions of NOX4, NF-κB and MDA contents were obviously decreased, while the T-AOC was significantly increased in right ventricule from PAH rats with chrysin treatment. These results suggest that chrysin ameliorates right ventricular remodeling of PAH induced by monocrotaline in rats through its down-regulating of NOX4 expression and antioxidant activity, and inhibiting NF-κB expression and collagen accumulation.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Collagen ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Heart Ventricles ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Monocrotaline ; toxicity ; NADPH Oxidase 4 ; NADPH Oxidases ; metabolism ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Rats ; Ventricular Remodeling ; drug effects

Effect of p-nitrophenol shock on microbial populations and sludge activity in UASB reactor was studied by DGGE-PCR of 16S rDNA fragments and detection of COD removing and biogas yield.The results showed that p-nitrophenol seriously inhibited the sludge activity,resulting in the drop of biogas and COD removing rate.The 40mg/L p-nitrophenol had more inhibition than 20mg/L p-nitrophenol.It would take 27 and 16 days respectively for reactor to recover after 40mg/L and 20mg/L p-nitrophenol shock.The diversity of eubacteria and methanogens were also effected by the p-nitrophenol shock.The variation of eubacteria was more than that of methanogens after p-nitrophenol shock.The drop of biogas was mainly related to the variation of Methanosaeta sp.and Methanomicrobia sp.after p-nitrophenol shock.Among the eubacteria the population of Chloroflexi sp.、Bacteroide sp.and Anaerovibrio sp.decreased greatly after p-nitrophenol shock.And more,the Rheinheimera sp disappeared after 40mg/L p-NP treatment.But the Flavobacteria sp.appeared after p-nitrophenol shock,which was probably related to the degradation of p-NP.

Carbon-nitrogen lyases (E.C.4.3) are a group of enzymes that release ammonia, amidine or amino group etc, and also show ability to form double bond or ring structure. Specifically, enzymes forming amino group are called amine-lyases (E.C.4.3.3), which are critical in the industrial production of many medicine intermediates. In this review is a summary of four major amine-lyases in terms of their source, enzymatic characteristics and their applications in preparation of pharmaceutical intermediates.

Objective To observe the structural characteristic of Marshall ligament and coronary sinus of 40 dog hearts. Methods The Marshall ligament and coronary sinus of 40 dog hearts fixed with 10% formaldehyde were observed in gross anatomy. Results The Marshall ligament begins at the right external side edge of left atrium appendage, via the left inferior pulmonary vein to the inner surface of pericardium. The length and the width of Marshall ligament of dog hearts were (2.61?0.95) cm, (0.18?0.04) cm respectively. The angle between Marshall ligament and the coronary sinus was (116?11), and the shortest length between Marshall ligament and left atrium was (0.58?0.52) cm. The length and the width of coronary sinus was (2.84?0.85) cm, (0.28?0.07) cm respectively. There are lots of cardiac fibers of ring (47.5%), vertical (37.5%) and diagonal (15%) shape on the surface of coronary sinus. Conclusion A lot of muscle fibers attaching to the surface of Marshall ligament and coronary sinus in dog hearts are abnormal atrial channels. Dog is the favorable animal for research of focal atrial fibrillation.

Objective To evaluate the short-term prediction of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and other cardiovascular risk biomarkers in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD).Methods We conducted a cohort survey in 296 consecutive MHD patients whose clinical data were retrospectively analyzed.Before MHD,hs-cTnT and other relative cardiovascular biomarkers were detected.The end point (all-cause death) and time of occurring were recorded in the next 13 months.The differences between survival and all-cause death were analyzed by t-test,Mann-Whitney test and x2 test.The best two percentile cutoff point was calculated by X-tile and the survival rate was calculated by Kaplan-Meier Logistic regression analysis was applied to analyze the odd ratio between high risk and non-high risk hs-cTnT group.Non-high risk group was divided into intermediate risk and low risk group based on the 99th percentile of hs-cTnT in healthy population,to further evaluate its short-term prediction value for MHD patients.The short-term significance of hs-cTnT was proved to be independently associated with all-cause death by Logistic regression analysis.Results The mean value of serum hs-cTnT in survival group was 0.05 (0.03～0.07) ng/mL,while in the death group it was 0.07 (0.04～0.14) ng/mL,which had statistical significance (P =0.027).The best two percentile cutoff of hs-cTnT in MHD patients was 0.1 ng/mL.The survival rate in high risk group (hs-cTnT＞0.1 ng/mL) is lower than it in non-high risk group (hs-cTnT≤0.1 ng/mL) (76.67％ vs.96.62％,P ＜0.05).The odd ratios for high risk group and non-high risk group was 7.288 (P＜ 0.001).Moreover,further grouping the non-high risk group by hs-cTnT =0.014 ng/mL,intermediate risk group (hs-cTnT＞0.014 ng/mL) group has lower survival rate than low risk group (hs-cTnT≤0.014ng/mL),while there wasn't any death case occurred in the low risk group.Conclusions Hs-cTnT is an independent risk factor to all-cause death.Thus hs-cTnT can be a strong indicator of short-term prediction and prognostic evaluation.