Animals ; Avoidance Learning ; physiology ; Cues ; Extinction, Psychological ; physiology ; Fear ; physiology ; Male ; Mental Recall ; physiology ; Rats ; Sleep Deprivation ; physiopathology ; Sleep, REM ; physiology

Accidents, Occupational ; Humans ; Hydrogen Sulfide ; poisoning

Objective To assess the coronary flow reserve in the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)by transthroracic echocardiography(TTE).Methods Coronary sinus blood flow of 24 SLE patients and 18 matched healthy controls were assessed by TTE.The coronary flow reserve was calculated as the ratio of hyperemic to baseline blood flow.Hyperemia was induced by intravenous administration of dipyridamole.Results Adequate recordings of blood flow in the coronary sinus under both conditions were obtained by TTE in all study subjects.Patients with SLE were found to have significantly decreased coronary flow reserve comparing with normal SUbiects(1.55±0.21 versus 2.51±0.33.P＜0.01).Conclusions Coronary flow reserve can be measured by TTE in SLE patients,Coronary flow reserve is impaired suggesting that SLE patients may have subclinical coronary artery disease.

Objective Evaluation of left ventricular ( LV) function has great clinical significance in patients with early chro-nic kidney disease (CKD).The study was to evaluate whether two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI) technique can offer additional information of cardiac dysfunction in early CKD patients . Methods Conventional echocardiography and 2D-STI echocar-diography were performed in CKD group of 20 patients at stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ and control group of 20 healthy volunteers .LV structure and function were evaluated by conventional echocardiography .Multidirectional strain , strain rate and LV twist parameters were analyzed by 2D-STI technique. Results There was no statistical difference in conventional echocardiographic parameters such as left atrial diam -eter, end-diastolic LV diameter and ejection fraction between CKD group and control group .By applying 2D-STI technique, CKD group had significantly decreased value of global longitudinal strain (-19.8 ±2.4)%and strain rate(-1.1 ±0.3)S-1 in comparison to control group(-22.6 ±2.1)%、( -1.8 ±0.2)S-1, along with significant increase in the values of maximum LV rotation (11.6 ± 4.4)°and LV twist(19.6 ±3.8)°in comparison to control group(8.2 ±3.7)°、(13.5 ±3.6)°(P<0.05).There was no differences in both global circumferential and radial deformation parameters as well as maximum rotation value of LV assist device between two groups(P>0.05). Conclusion 2D-STI can detect subclinical LV dysfunction sensitively in early CKD patients .

AIM:To observe the transplantation of acellular porcine corneal stroma on the treatment of superficial keratitis by drug-resistant fungal.METHODS:We performed a retrospective analysis of 16 cases of fungal keratitis received the transplantation of acellular porcine corneal matrix from June 2015 to March 2016 with a follow-up of 6mo.We analyzed on items as postoperative visual acuity, corneal graft status, postoperative recurrence and postoperative complications.RESULTS:We observed a healing time of corneal epithelium in 7 to 10d postoperatively generally and the absence of corneal edema in 1mo, while the cornea gradually returned transparent in the 16 cases.Two cases required medication for an epithelial recovery and 3 cases received intervention for decreasing intraocular pressure to a certain level.During the follow-up we observed no cases of cornea degeneration, recurrence of infection or rejection.The vision acuity showed 1.27±0.22, 1.11±0.13, 0.79±0.22 in 1, 3 and 6mo after operation respectively.There was no statistical difference between vision in 1mo and the vision before surgery (P=0.06);while we found a statistical difference when comparing the vision of 3 and 6mo with vision before surgery (P=0.01,0.001).The vision in 6mo increased with a statistic difference to the vision at 1 and 3mo (P<0.001) while no statistic difference was observed between 1 and 3mo(P=0.11).CONCLUSION:Transplantation of acellular porcine corneal matrix is a safe and efficient treatment for fungal keratitis.

Abstract: Objective　The main aim of the study is to sequence the complete genome of two Getah virus strains (GS11-155 and HNDZ1712-1) isolated in Gansu Province and Hainan Province in 2011 and 2017 respectively and analyze the molecular and genetic evolution of the two strains compared with M1, which was first isolated in 1964 in Hainan Province, China. Methods　Genome of two newly isolated Getah viruses were sequenced by virus gene amplification technique, and the genomic database of Getah viruses was established. The molecular characteristics and genetic evolution of the viruses were analyzed by bioinformatics software. Results　The genome length of two new isolated Getah virus strains (GS11-155 and HNDZ1712-1) was 11 690 nt and 11 621 nt, respectively. Both strains had the structural characteristics of Alphavirus genome. Although the nucleotide sequence lengths of structural genes, non-structural genes and non-coding junction regions of the two strains were identical, the nucleotide sequence lengths of the 5' and 3' non-coding regions of the viral genomes were a few different. The 3'UTR repeats elements in the genomes of the two virus strains did not change. It was 97.7% and 98.1% different of nucleotide and amino acid homology between both strains of Getah virus, HNDZ1712-1 isolated in 2017 and M1 isolated in 1964 in Hainan Province. Interesting, Gansu 2011 cluster and Hainan 2017 cluster were emerged leading by both strains GS11-155 and HNDZ1712-1 respectively, those two clusters totally independent with M1 virus isolated from Hainan in 1964 in whole genome phylogenetic analysis first. Conclusions　Although the HNDZ1712-1 was also isolated from mosquito samples in Hainan Province, it was in a completely different evolutionary branch from the M1 isolated from Hainan Island in 1964, and was closely related to the strain isolated from Gansu Province (GS11-155) thousands of kilometers away. It is suggested that the two new strains of Getah virus are different from the Getah virus isolated in 1964.

Objective To evaluate whether global 2-dimensional strain imaging can offer additional benefit over conventional echocardiography to detect subclinical myocardial damage in patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD). Methods Conventional echocardiography and global 2-dimension strain imaging were performed in 39 patients with CKD [23 men and 16 women,mean age (45.6± 14.6) years] and 29 control subjects. Twenty patients had CKD stage 2 or 3(group 1 ) and nineteen patients had CKD stage 4 or 5(group 2). Left ventricular structure and function were evaluated by conventional echocardiography. Global longitudinal and circumferential strain and strain rate were analyzed. Results There were no differences in ejection fraction and fraction shortening between CKD patients and controls. Compared with controls, CKD groups had significantly decreased value of global longitudinal strain and strain rate. Global longitudinal strain decreased from - (23.8 ± 3.1 ) % in controls to - ( 18. 5 ± 2.4) % in group 1 and to - (15.2 ± 3.2) % in group 2 ( P ＜0. 001 ). Compared with controls, there was no difference in global circumferential strain and strain rate between group 1 and controls, but global circumferential strain and strain rate of group 2 was reduced [ - (17.1± 3. 0) % vs -(21.2±2.8)%, P＜0.05;-(1.0±0.2)% vs -(1.3±0.3)%, P＜0.05]. In correlation analyses, global longitudinal strain was positively related to eGFR( r =0. 376, P ＜0. 001 ) and inversely related to left ventricular mass index( r = - 0. 473, P ＜0.01). Conclusions Global 2-dimensional strain imaging may represent a useful tool for the assessment of subclinical myocardial dysfunction in patients with CKD.

This study aims to investigate the preparation process and in vitro release behavior of artesunate polylactic acid microspheres, in order to prepare an artesunate polylactic acid (PLA) administration method suitable for hepatic arterial embolization. With PLA as the material and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the emulsifier, O/W emulsion/solvent evaporation method was adopted to prepare artesunate polylactic acid microspheres, and optimize the preparation process. With drug loading capacity, encapsulation efficiency and particle size as indexes, a single factor analysis was made on PLA concentration, PVA concentration, drug loading ratio and stirring velocity. Through an orthogonal experiment, the optimal processing conditions were determined as follows: PLA concentration was 9. 0% , PVA concentration was 0. 9% , drug loading ratio was 1:2 and stirring velocity was 1 000 r x min(-1). According to the verification of the optimal process, microsphere size, drug loading and entrapment rate of artesunate polylactic acid microspheres were (101.7 +/- 0.37) microm, (30.8 +/- 0.84)%, (53.6 +/- 0.62)%, respectively. The results showed that the optimal process was so reasonable and stable that it could lay foundation for further studies.
Artemisinins ; chemistry ; Calibration ; Drug Compounding ; methods ; Lactic Acid ; chemistry ; Microspheres ; Polyesters ; Polymers ; chemistry ; Polyvinyl Alcohol ; chemistry

Objective:Patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) often had severe cardiovascular complications. So the early detection of the cardiovascular functional abnormality was more and more thought highly of by people. We evaluated the cardiac function of the patients with (OSAS) using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) technique. Methods:Thirty-five patients with OSAS and 35 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. TDI was applied in the pulse-Doppler mode to allow for a spectral display and recording of mitral annulus at septal,lateral corner and tricuspid lateral corner in the apical four chamber view. The peak systolic (Sm),early diastolic (Em) and late diastolic (Am) TDI velocity both of mitral and tricuspid annulus were measured by pulsed wave tissue Doppler imaging technique. Results:There were significant differences in Sm of mitral lateral corner,in Sm,Em and Em to Am ratio of mitral septal corner and in Sm,Em,Am and Em to Am ratio of tricuspid lateral corner between the OSAS group and healthy control group (P

Rap1 is expressed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Rap1-GTPase activating protein (Rap1GAP), with its specific target, Rap1, has been shown to be important in the regulation of many physiological and certain pathological processes. In this study, we investigated the effect of Rap1GAP expression on endothelial cell function, or, more specifically, proliferation and migration of endothelial cells. HUVECs were transfected with pcDNA3.1 (empty vector), pcDNA3.1 containing Flag-tagged-Rap1GAP or Myc-tagged-Rap1N17. The proliferation, migration and tube formation were examined and compared among the 3 groups. Expression of Rap1, Rap1GAP, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), phospho-ERK, Akt, phosphor-Akt was detected by Western blotting. The results showed that the proliferation, migration and tube formation were significantly reduced in Rap1GAP- and Rap1N17-transfected HUVECs as compared with empty vector-transfected control. These changes were coincident with increased expression of Rap1GAP and decreased expression of activated Rap1, phospho-ERK and -Akt. After treatment of Rap1GAP-transfected HUVECs with a stimulator of Rap1 guanine-nucleotide-exchange factor (Rap1GEF) 8CPT-2'OMe-cAMP, it was found that Rap1 activity was decreased as compared with empty vector-transfected control. Pretreatment of HUVECs with an ERK inhibitor PD98059 or a PI3K inhibitor LY294002 prior to stimulation not only blocked 8CPT-2'OMe-cAMP-induced phosphorylation of ERK and Akt, but also significantly reduced cell proliferation and migration. Finally, we examined the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on HUVECs overexpressing Rap1GAP. VEGF-stimulated Rap1 activity, phosphorylation of ERK and Akt, cyclin D1 expression and cell proliferation were repressed in HUVECs overexpressing Rap1GAP as compared to empty vector-transfected control. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that Rap1GAP/Rap1 and their downstream effectors regulate proliferation and migration of HUVECs via ERK and Akt pathways.