Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Endoscopes ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures ; Smell ; Turbinates ; surgery ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the characteristics of dipyridamole 201 Tl myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) SPECT in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Methods Thirty patients with dilated cardiomyopathy underwent pharmacological stress 201Tl MPI SPECT after intravenous infusion of dipyridamole (0. 56 mg/kg) for 4 min. The early and delayed SPECT images were acquired respectively at 10 and 240 min after 201Tl injection. The images were analyzed and reported by two or three experienced nuclear medicine physicians. Results All patients were found to have abnormal perfusion patterns at delay imaging, however 90.00% (27/30) were also abnormal at early images. Six patients had reverse redistribution. Conclusion Dipyridamole 201Tl MPI SPECT imaging may be of some value for the assessment of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

AIM: To evaluate cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration of human retinal pigment epithelial cells ( RPE) when co - cultured with human marrow mesenchymal stem cells ( hMSCs ) in condition of hypoxia and hyperglycemia so as to explore possible mechanisms of diabetes aggravating choroidal neovascularization ( CNV) preliminarily.
METHODS:Both hMSCs and RPE cells were co-cultured in a transwell system. The experiment was divided into four groups: 21% O2 with 5. 56mmol/L glucose ( control group, A ), 21% O2 with 30mmol/L glucose ( hyperglycemia and normoxia group, B ) , 5% O2 with 5.56mmol/L glucose ( normoglycemia and hypoxia group, C ) and 5% O2 with 30mmol/L glucose ( hyperglycemia and hypoxia group, D) . Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to detect the proliferation of RPE cells in each group at 12, 24 and 48h respectively. Flow cytometry was performed to observe apoptosis of RPE cells at 24h. Additionally, we assessed migration
capabilities of RPE via transwell assay under the condition of hyperglycemia and hypoxia by co-culturing of hMSCs.RESULTS:In this co-culturing system, at 12, 24 and 48h, group B (1. 61±0. 41, 1. 80±0. 34;1. 91±0. 35), C (1.34±0. 46, 1. 94±0. 40, 2. 14±0. 41) and D (1. 98±0. 47, 2.26±0.42, 2. 55±0. 40) showed significantly higher proliferation rate than group A (0. 92±0. 45, 1. 27±0. 32, 1.59±0. 41, P<0. 05). The migration capabilities of RPE in group B (149. 5±9. 19), C (140±9. 90) and D (170. 5±7. 78) increased dramatically compared with group A ( 114. 5±7.78, P<0.05) at 24h, whereas there was no significant difference of apoptosis ratio among four groups (P>0. 05).
CONCLUSION:By coexistence with hMSCs, the synergy of hyperglycemia and hypoxia can improve migration and proliferation of RPE cells, and have no effect on apoptosis of RPE cells within short period.

Objective Cervical radiculopathy treatment experts' consensus to establish radiculopathy type by using the modified Delphi method. Methods Use document retrieval method to review information and articles about the treatment guidelines and articles of cervical radiculopathy including domestic and international areas, established a protocol about clini?cal consensus of the treatments for cervical radiculopathy. This protocol included 23 questions (the effective proportion of non?operating therapy, neck immobilization, physiotherapy, pharmacologic treatment, surgical indications, contraindications, anteri?or surgical decompression, anterior surgical implants). We performed a modified Delphi survey in which current professional opinions from experienced experts, representing from almost all of the Chinese provinces, were gathered. And then we modi?fied the protocol according to those professional opinions. Three rounds were performed and finally we established consensus. Consensus was achieved with ≥70% agreement. Results The panel included 30 experienced experts. The recycling question?naire's quantity of three rounds were 30(100%), 24(80%) and 16(53.3%) respectively. After three expert assessments, there were 18 questions which achieved with≥70%agreement and these questions accounted for 64.3%(18/28) of all the questions. Consen?sus of the treatments for cervical radiculopathy was reached on 7 aspects, including:the effective proportion of non?operating thera?py (1 question), neck immobilization (1 question), physiotherapy (1 question), pharmacologic treatment (5 questions), surgical indi?cations (3 questions), contraindications (4 questions), surgery (3 questions). Conclusion This modified Delphi study had reached a consensus concerning several treatment issues on cervical radiculopathy which had strong representativeness of experts and good convergence of opinions. In the absence of high?level evidence, at present, these experts' opinion findings will guide health care providers to define appropriate treatment in their regions. Areas with no consensus provide excellent insight for future research.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the midterm follow-up results of extended release of posterior clearance in total knee arthroplasty.

METHODSA total of 120 patients with knee osteoarthritis were equally randomly assigned to the experimental group and control group, and underwent unilateral TKA from March 2010 to March 2012. In experimental group, there were 21 males and 39 females with an average age of (62.2±10.9) years old. In the control group, there were 25 males and 35 females with an average age of (64.9±11.4) years old. All the patients were performed using the anterior knee approach. During operation, after osteotomy of the tibia and the femoral condyle, extended release of the posterior knee clearance were taken in experimental group, while only the clearance of osteophyte in the posterior condyle were performed in the control group. The KSS scores including knee functional score and knee clinical score,as well as the range of motion (ROM) of patients, were compared between the two groups at midterm follow-up.

RESULTSTotally 49 patients in the experimental group and 54 patients in the control group were followed up, and the median follow-up time was 46 months. The knee functional score of patients in the experimental group was 91.3±3.4, which was better than 86.4±3.9 of patients in the control group; initiative ROM of flexion of patients in the experimental group was (133.2±5.9)°, which was better than (126.9±7.4)° of patients in the control group. There were no significant difference of knee clinical score between 86.9±4.6 of patients in the experimental group and 85.7±5.1 of patients in the control group, and the initiative ROM of extension between (0.5±1.1)° and (0.3±1.2)°.

CONCLUSIONExtended release of the posterior knee clearance contributes to the knee function and initiative flexion ROM during a midterm follow-up and patients benefit.

Aged ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; methods ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Range of Motion, Articular

Objective To observe skin test results of tetanus antitoxin prepared by different solvents.Methods Patients who needed injecting tetanus antitoxin as required by trauma were randomly divided into two groups, Group A and Group B, respectively. Group A was administered with tetanus antitoxin prepared by water for injection, while Group B with tetanus antitoxin prepared by saline. Skin test results were observed, the incidence of positive skin test results and self-inductance of pain intensity were compared.Results The incidence of positive skin test results in Group A was significantly higher than that in Group B (34.19% vs 17.50%,χ2=8.631,P<0.01), and the self-inductance of pain intensity were also greater than that in Group B. Patients with positive skin test results (40 patients) in Group A, were later injected tetanus antitoxin prepared by saline, 42.50% of them (17 patients) shown negative skin test results.Conclusions There might be a high false positive rate by using tetanus antitoxin prepared by water for injection; therefore tetanus antitoxin prepared by saline is recommended, for it could decrease the false positive rate, reduce unnecessary desensitization injections, alleviate patients' pain and improve nurses' work efficiency.

BACKGROUNDCurcumin, an active ingredient of turmeric with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties has recently been reported to have anticonvulsant effects in several animal models of epilepsy. This study aimed to investigate the effects of curcumin on the pilocarpine rat model of status epilepticus.

METHODSThe effect of intraperitoneal administration of curcumin (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg) on pilocarpine-induced seizures in rats was tested. The correlation between seizure activity and hippocampal levels of nitric oxide synthase and free radicals was quantified. Whether curcumin treatment modulated these parameters was also investigated.

RESULTSCurcumin significantly increased seizure threshold at doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg. Rats with pilocarpine- induced seizures showed significantly elevated levels of malonaldehyde, nitric oxide synthase, and lactate dehydrogenase, but decreased levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione compared with normal control rats. At doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg, curcumin reversed the effects of pilocarpine-induced seizures on nitric oxide synthase, lactate dehydrogenase, glutathione, and superoxide dismutase. However, curcumin did not restore the elevated malonaldehyde levels.

CONCLUSIONCurcumin has anticonvulsant activity in the pilocarpine rat model of seizures, and that modulation of free radicals and nitric oxide synthase may be involved in this effect.

Animals ; Anticonvulsants ; therapeutic use ; Antioxidants ; therapeutic use ; Curcumin ; therapeutic use ; Glutathione ; metabolism ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Pilocarpine ; toxicity ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seizures ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

Background Curcumin,an active ingredient of turmeric with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties has recently been reported to have anticonvulsant effects in several animal models of epilepsy.This study aimed to investigate the effects of curcumin on the pilocarpine rat model of status epilepticus.Methods The effect of intraperitoneal administration of curcumin (30,100,and 300 mg/kg) on pilocarpine-induced seizures in rats was tested.The correlation between seizure activity and hippocampal levels of nitric oxide synthase and free radicals was quantified.Whether curcumin treatment modulated these parameters was also investigated.Results Curcumin significantly increased seizure threshold at doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg.Rats with pilocarpineinduced seizures showed significantly elevated levels of malonaldehyde,nitric oxide synthase,and lactate dehydrogenase,but decreased levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione compared with normal control rats.At doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg,curcumin reversed the effects of pilocarpine-indUced seizures on nitric oxide synthase,lactate dehydrogenase,glutathione,and superoxide dismutase.However,curcumin did not restore the elevated malonaldehyde levels.Conclusion Curcumin has anticonvulsant activity in the pilocarpine rat model of seizures,and that modulation of free radicals and nitric oxide synthase may be involved in this effect.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of fasudil, an inhibitor of Rho kinase, on the erectile function of hypertensive rats and its action mechanism.

METHODSTwenty 12-week-old healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into groups A (control), B (hypertension) and C (fasudil treatment). After establishment of the hypertension model, group C received intraperitoneal injection of fasudil at 30 mg/(kg x d), while A and B normal saline only. At 10 weeks after surgery, we measured the corpus cavernosum pressure/mean carotid arterial pressure (ICPmax / MAP), and the expression levels of ROCK1 and ROCK2 proteins in the corpus cavernosum of the rats by Western-blot.

RESULTSThe systolic blood pressure (mmHg) and the expressions of ROCK1 and ROCK2 proteins were significantly increased in group B (190.39 +/- 5.07, 0.048 +/- 0.002 and 0.143 +/- 0.011) as compared with A (124.81 +/- 4.01, 0.036 +/- 0.001 and 0.101 +/- 0.011) (P<0.05), but markedly decreased in group C (182.03 +/- 4.32, 0.044 +/- 0.001 and 0.126 +/- 0.007) in comparison with B (P<0.05). ICPmax /MAP was significantly lower in group B (36.82 +/- 5.47) than in A (59.99 +/- 5.69) (P<0.05), but remarkably higher in group C (51.1 +/- 5.63) than in B (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONFasudil can improve erectile function in hypertensive rats by inhibiting the expression of RhoA / Rho kinase signaling and its possible attenuating effect on hypertension.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Male ; Penile Erection ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vasodilator Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of different anesthetic and analgesic protocols on the cellular immune function and stress hormone in patients undergoing lobectomy for esophagus cancer.

METHODSSixty ASA I or II patients undergoing lobectomy for esophagus cancer were randomly divided into two groups to receive postoperative general anesthesia and intravenous analgesia (group A, n=30) or intraoperative general anesthesia combined with thoracic epidural anesthesia with postoperative epidural analgesia (group B, n=30). The cervical venous blood samples were obtained from the patients at 30 min before anesthesia induction (T(0)), 2 h after skin incision (T(1)), and at 4 h (T(2)), 24 h (T(3)) and 48 h (T(4)) after the end of operation. The T-lymphocyte subsets (CD4(+) and CD8(+)) were analyzed by flow cytometry, serum concentrations of sIL-2R and IL-2 determined by ELISA, and the levels of growth hormone (GR), prolactin (PRL), IL-8 and cortisol (Cor) measured by radioimmunoassay. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used for assessment of the postoperative analgesic effects.

RESULTSThe VAS scores were significantly lower in group B than in group A at T(2) and T(3) (P<0.05). The percentage of CD4(+) cells and the CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio in the two groups began to decrease significantly at T(1) (P<0.05), reducing to the lowest level at T(2) in group B and at T(3) in group A. From T(1) to T(4), the percentage of CD4(+) in group B remained significantly higher than those in group A (P<0.05), and from T(3) to T(4), the CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio in group B were significantly higher than those in group A (P<0.05). The IL-2 level in the two groups began to decrease significantly at T(1) (P<0.05), reaching the lowest level at T(2) in group A and at T(3) in group A. IL-2 level was significantly higher in group B than in group A from T(3) to T(4) (P<0.05). sIL-2R level in group A began to increase at T(1) and peaked at T(3), showing significant differences from the T(0) level, but the level showed no significant variations in group B compared with the T(0) level. From T(2) to T(4), sIL-2R level was significantly higher in group A than in group B (P<0.05). The levels of GH, PRL and Cor increased significantly, while IL-8 decreased in the two groups from T(1) to T(4) (P<0.05), but remained stable in group B.

CONCLUSIONGeneral anesthesia combined with thoracic epidural anesthesia may reduce the perioperative stress reaction and adverse effect on cellular immune function in patients undergoing lobectomy for esophagus cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Analgesia, Epidural ; methods ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; methods ; Anesthesia, Intravenous ; methods ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; immunology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; drug effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain, Postoperative ; drug therapy ; Postoperative Period ; Stress, Physiological ; drug effects ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology