Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common and age-related persistent arrhythmias. With the increase of age, the prevalence of AF and the incidence of atrial fibrillation-related stroke are increased. Due to the decline of cognition and function of various organs, coupled with the increase of comorbities and complications, the types of drug use also are increased in elderly patients, and their anticoagulant therapy has become complex. New anticoagulant drugs increase the choice of treatment in elderly patients with AF. This article reviews the clinical characteristics, necessity, challenge and drug selection of anticoagulant therapy in elderly patients with non-valvular AF to provide information for rational anticoagulant therapy.

Objective To explore the correlation of adipnectin with T2DM and its macrovascular complications. Methods The levels of serum adiponectin, plasma glucose, serum lipids, and fasting insulin were measured in normal subjects, type 2 diabetic patients and type 2 diabetic patients with macrovascular complications. Results (1) The serum adiponectin level was significantly lower in type 2 diabetic patients than in normal subjects, and was the lowest in type 2 diabetic patients with macrovascular complications. (2) Serum adiponetin level was negatively correlated with BMI,HOMA-IR, HbA_1c,TG and fasting insulin level. Conclusions The results suggest that lower serum adiponectin level may be related to macrovascular complications in type 2 diabetic patients.

Objective To understand the serum adiponectin levels in normal subjects and type 2 diabetes patients with macrovascular complications, to investigate the correlation between adipnectin and macrovascular complications in type 2 diabetes patients. Methods One hundred and two normal subjects, 116 type 2 diabetes patients and 123 type 2 diabetic patients with macrovascular complications were recruited in the current study. The serum adiponectin levels among three groups were compared, and the factors affecting the serum adiponectin were investigated. Results ①The serum adiponectin level was significantly lower in type 2 diabetic patients (8. 62 ± 2. 97) mg/L than that in normal subjects (10. 03 ± 4.41) mg/L, and was the lowest in type 2 diabetic patients with macrovascular complications(6. 17 ± 2. 55) mg/L(P < 0.05). ②Serum adiponetin level was negatively correlated with BMI,WHR,HOMA-IR,fasting insulin level, HbAlC and TG(r = -0.492, -0. 581, -0. 813, -0. 754, -0.619, -0.387, P<0.05). ③In a general multivariate regression, HOMA-IR fasting insulin and HbAlc.were negatively correlated with serum adipnectin level (r = - 0. 828, - 0. 769, - 0. 631, P < 0. 01). Conclusions The serum adiponectin level in type 2 diabetic patients is significantly decreased and even more in type 2 diabetic patients with macrovascular complications. These results suggest that lower serum adiponectin level is related to macrovascular complications in type 2 diabetic patients and maybe plays an important role in atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients.

0.05). The most frequent side-effects were abdominal pain and fever. The degree and duration of abdominal pain were higher and longer in group B than those in group A, but the occurrance rate of fever was lower in group B. The occurrance rate of severe complications showed no significant differences for both groups. The increase of embolization degree may aggravate post-embolization side-effects and raise the incidence of complications. Conclusions PVA may be used as the embolic material of PSE with embolization degree ranging from 50% to 70% which may alleviate hypersplenism in patients with cirrhosis, relieve post-embolization syndrome and decrease the incidence of severe complications.

0.05, but the duration of pain was different in group A and B, P

Objective To study the role of Mycoplasma genitalium(Mg)infection in chronic non- bacterial prostatitis.Methods Culture and two PCR systems were performed on prostatic secretion specimens from 487 patients with chronic non-bacterial prostatitis and 75 health men in Changchun regions. Results positive rate of Mg in the prostatic secretion from the 487 patients was 7.39% (36/487);In the controls,the positive rate of Mg was 1.33%(1/75).The differences between the two groups were statistically significant (X~2=3.88,P

Objective To analyze the risk factors of hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) caused by nonfermentative bacteria in ICU.Methods Using binary logistic regression analysis,we reviewed the related risk factors of hospital acquired pneumonia caused by nonfermentative bacteria from January,2002 to May,2006 in ICU of our hospital.Results Univariate regression ana- lysis identified 22 variables associated with HAP,including age,diabetes mellitus,malignant tumor,chronic obstructive pul- monary disease (COPD),smoking,Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score,Acute Physiology and Chronic Healthy EvaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ) score.Multivariate regression analysis confirmed 6 high risk factors:aspiration,COPD,use of antacids,seda- tive agents,mechanical ventilation and tracheal intubation or tracheostomy.Conclusions Aspiration,COPD,use of antacids, sedative agents,mechanical ventilation,tracheal intubation or tracheostomy are high risk factors associated with HAP.

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) combined with reference herb method was developed to rapidly screen commercial sulfur-fumigated ginseng. Sufur-fumigated ginseng reference herb was prepared using genuine ginseng by conventional procedure. Then the reference sulfur-fumigated ginseng sample was analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS to identify characteristic marker components. 25-hydroxyl-Re sulfate with higher abundance was se- lected as marker compound from 8 characteristic components identified in sulfur-fumigated ginseng reference herb. The fragmentation of 25-hydroxyl-Re sulfate was extensively investigated, fragment ion m/z 879.44 with higher intensity was chosen as the characteristic ion of sulfur-fumigated ginseng. The response of ion m/z 879. 44 was improved by optimizing the MS conditions so that this ion could be used as the characteristic marker ion for screening purpose in ion extracting screening mode. The established approach was successfully applied to inspect 21 commercial ginseng samples collected from different cities in China It was found that the chemical profiles of 9 samples were similar to that of sulfur-fumigated ginseng reference herb, and the characteristic ion m/z 879. 44 of 25-hydroxyl-Re sulfate was also detected in these samples, suggesting that there were nearly 43% ginseng samples analyzed being sulfur-fumigated. This findng agreed well with the results of sulfur dioxide residues of these 21 commercial ginseng samples determined with the method documented in Chinese Pharmacopeia Compared with the method documented in Chinese Pharmacopeia, the proposed approach is more rapid and specific for screening sulfur-fumigated ginseng. SFDA of China should strengthen the enforcement to prohibit ginseng being sulfur-fumigated, so that ginseng and it preparations could be effectively and safely benefit to the health of human beings.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; standards ; Drug Contamination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Fumigation ; Panax ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Reference Standards ; Sulfur ; chemistry ; Sulfur Dioxide ; analysis ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; standards ; Time Factors

Nitrites play multiple characteristic functions in invasion and metastasis of hepatic cancer cells, but the exact mechanism is not yet known. Cancer cells can maintain the malignant characteristics via clearance of excess mitochondria by mitophagy. The purpose of this article was to determine the roles of nitrite, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hypoxia inducing factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 α) in mitophagy of hepatic cancer cells. After exposure of human hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 cells to a serial concentrations of sodium nitrite for 24 h under normal oxygen, the maximal cell vitality was increased by 16 mg x (-1) sodium nitrite. In addition, the potentials of migration and invasion for SMMC-7721 cells were increased significantly at the same time. Furthermore, sodium nitrite exposure displayed an increase of stress fibers, lamellipodum and perinuclear mitochondrial distribution by cell staining with Actin-Tracker Green and Mito-Tracker Red, which was reversed by N-acetylcysteine (NAC, a reactive oxygen scavenger). DCFH-DA staining with fluorescent microscopy showed that the intracellular level of ROS concentration was increased by the sodium nitrite treatment. LC3 immunostaining and Western blot results showed that sodium nitrite enhanced cell autophagy flux. Under the transmission electron microscopy (TEM), more autolysosomes formed after sodium nitrite treatment and NAC could prevent autophagosome degradation. RT-PCR results indicated that the expression levels of COX I and COXIV mRNA were decreased significantly after sodium nitrite treatment. Meanwhile, laser scanning confocal microscopy showed that sodium nitrite significantly reduced mitochondrial mass detected by Mito-Tracker Green staining. The expression levels of HIF-1α, Beclin-1 and Bnip3 (mitophagy marker molecular) increased remarkably after sodium nitrite treatment, which were reversed by NAC. Our results demonstrated that sodium nitrite (16 mg x L(-1)) increased the potentials of invasion and migration of hepatic cancer SMMC-7721 cells through induction of ROS and HIF-1α mediated mitophagy.
Acetylcysteine ; pharmacology ; Autophagy ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; pathology ; Mitochondrial Degradation ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Nitrites ; metabolism ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Sodium Nitrite ; pharmacology

In order to prepare the recombinant vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) using intein mediated rapid purification system,the cDNA encoding the recombinant VIP was designed and synthesized according to the preference of E.coli,and then was cloned into the expression vector PTWIN. The recombinant plasmid PTWIN-VIP was transformed into expression host E.coli strain ER2566.The fusion protein consisting of the recombinant VIP,intein and chitin binding domain was expressed and purified by chitin affinity chromatography. The target peptide was released from the fusion protein by changing the temperature and the pH of the cleavage buffer. The molecular weight of the recombinant VIP was determined by the mass spectrometry and the results was conformity with the theoretical value. The preliminary bioactivity assay indicated that the recombinant VIP decreased the serum resistin levels significantly in LPS-induced acute inflammation. The preparation and the characterization of anti-inflammatory effects of the recombinant VIP layed the foundation for its further application.