Objective To study the effect of cardiac troponin T(cTnT)on the prognosis of chronic heart failure in the elderly patients.Methods Serum level of cTnT,and serum activities of creatine kinase (CK)and creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB)were measured in 60 elderly patients of chronic heart failure with varied classes of cardiac function.Cardiac events,including malignant cardiac arrhythemia,repeated or aggravated heart failure or cardiac death,in patients with increased cTnT during hospitalization were compared to those without it.Results Serum level averaged(89.1?13.6)mmol/L for CK and(7.9? 1.4)mmol/L for CK-MB in 20 patients with Class Ⅱ cardiac function by New York Heart Association (NYHA)classification and without increased cTnT,(88.2?13.4)mmol/L for CK and(7.5?1.8) mmol/L for CK-MB in 19 patients with Class Ⅲ cardiac function and four of them with increased cTnT,and (93.3?14.2)mmol/L for CK and(8.1?1.6)mmol/L for CK-MB in 21 patients with Class Ⅳ cardiac function and 14 of them with increased cTnT.Malignant cardiac arrhythemia occurred in six,repeated heart failure in eight,and death in three of 18 patients with increased cTnT,and one,two and one in 22 patients without increased cTnT,respectively.Incidence of cardiac events was higher in patients with increased cTnT than those without it(P

Acute Disease ; Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Female ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Nitriles ; poisoning ; Rabbits

In this study, the buffering capacity of amphiphilic pH-sensitivity copolymer poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-cholesteryl methyl carbonate (PEOZ-CHMC) was evaluated. The ammonium sulfate gradient method was used to prepare doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX x HCl)-loaded liposomes (DOX-L), and then the post-insertion method was used to prepare PEOZ-CHMC and polyethylene glycol-distearoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PEG-DSPE) modified DOX x HCl-loaded liposomes (PEOZ-DOX-L and PEG-DOX-L). The physico-chemical properties, in vitro drugs release behavior, cellular toxicity and intracellular delivery of liposomes were evaluated, separately. The results showed that PEOZ-CHMC has a satisfactory buffering capacity. The sephadex G-50 column centrifugation method and dynamic light scattering were used to determine the encapsulation efficiency (EE) and particle size of liposomes. The EE and particle size of DOX-L were (97.3 ± 1.4) % and 120 nm, respectively, and the addition of PEOZ-CHMC or PEG-DSPE had no influence on EE and particle size. The zeta potentials of three kinds of liposomes were negative. The release behavior of various DOX liposomes in vitro was investigated by dialysis method. In phosphate buffer solution (PBS) at pH 7.4, DOX x HCl was released from PEOZ-DOX-L in a sustained manner. While in PBS at pH 5.0, the release rate of DOX x HCl from PEOZ-DOX-L increased significantly, which suggested DOX x HCl was released from PEOZ-DOX-L in a pH-dependent manner. The intracellular delivery of liposomes was investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The CLSM images indicated that PEOZ-DOX-L showed efficient intracellular trafficking including endosomal escape and release DOX x HCl into nucleus, as well as the DOX-L and PEG-DOX-L had no this effect. The cytotoxicity of liposomes against MCF-7 cells was detected by using MTT assay. The results showed that antiproliferative effects of PEOZ-DOX-L enhanced with pH value decreased, whereas DOX-L and PEG-DOX-L did not have any significant difference in inhibitions at different pH conditions. Therefore, the problems of the inhibition of cellular uptake of liposomes and the failed endosomal escape of pH-sensitive liposomes by PEG chain can be overcome by the pH-sensitive liposomes constructed by PEOZ-CHMC.
Cell Nucleus ; Doxorubicin ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; Endosomes ; Formates ; chemistry ; Humans ; Liposomes ; chemistry ; MCF-7 Cells ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Particle Size ; Phosphatidylethanolamines ; Polyamines ; chemistry ; Polyethylene Glycols ; chemistry

A new hasubanan alkaloid, hernsubanine E (1), as well as two known compounds p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (2) and (-)-syringaresinol (3) have been isolated from the whole plants of Stephania hernandifolia by various column chromatographic methods. Their structures were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral analyses. Compounds 2 and 3 were isolated from the genus of Stephania for the first time.
Alkaloids ; chemistry ; Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Stephania ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo analyze the relationship between Helicobacter pylori (Hp) in oral cavity and the Hp infection in stomach.

METHODS102 patients with gastric Hp infection and periodontitis were enrolled in this study. DNA was extracted from subgingival plaques, mouthwashes and stomach mucosa samples by using the glass-milk (SiO2) purification method. To identify the presence of Hp in these samples, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) was carried out, and two pairs of oligonucleotide primer were used to amplify a portion of gene urease C and gene cag A of Hp.

RESULTSThe rate of Hp detected in oral cavity was significantly higher in patients with positive Hp in stomach (43.1%, n=58) than in those with negative Hp in stomach (22.7%, n=44, P<0.05). After the treatment for gastric Hp infection for 4 weeks, the eradication rate of Hp in stomach was lower, but only slightly in patients with positive oral Hp (16/25, 64%) than in those with negative oral Hp (24/33, 72.7%). However, this difference became apparent (36.0% vs 63.6%, P<0.05) after one year of the treatment.

CONCLUSIONSThe effectiveness of the eradication therapy for gastric Hp infection is affected by the presence of Hp in oral cavity. Oral colonization of Hp may imply that there is a risk of the relapses of gastric and duodenal Hp infection and ulcer after the antibiotics treatment for the eradication of Hp.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Helicobacter Infections ; complications ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Helicobacter pylori ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mouth ; microbiology ; Recurrence ; Stomach ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the optimal glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) cut off points and evaluate the impact of HbA1c on diabetes and pre-diabetes in middle-aged and elderly population.

METHODSSubjects were recruited from Shanghai Changfeng Study. A total of 1973 community-based participants (age ⋝45) without known diabetes underwent oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) by using a 75-g oral glucose load and HbA1c was measured by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Subjects were classified as normal glucose tolerance (NGT), pre-diabetes(impaired glucose regulation, IGR) and new diagnosed diabetes (NDD) per 1999 WHO criteria. Two tests are compared with receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC).

RESULTSAmong 1973 subjects, 271 (13.7%) were diagnosed as NDD and 474 (24.0%) as IGR by using OGTT. HbA1c was 5.7%±0.7% in this population. Use of 6.5% as the HbA1C cutoff point has sensitivity of 38.7% and specificity of 98.5%. We recommend 6.0% as a better cutoff value for diagnosis of diabetes in this population (AUC 0.829, 95% CI 0.798-0.860, P<0.001) with its sensitivity and specificity as 66.1% and 86.8%. For IGR, the results showed low sensitivity (44.9%) and specificity (66.7%) with an AUC of 0.571 for HbA1c when 5.8% was used as the cutoff point. Participants detected with HbA1c⋝6.0% were associated with nearly the same metabolic characteristics, including body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, lipid profile and urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR) compared with diabetic subjects detected by OGTT.

CONCLUSIONThe optimum HbA1c cutoff point for diabetes in our study population was lower than ADA criteria, and HbA1c may not be used to identify IGR.

Aged ; China ; Diabetes Mellitus ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Female ; Glycated Hemoglobin A ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prediabetic State ; diagnosis ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo identify genes regulated by HBV preS1-transactivated protein 2 binding protein 1 (PS1TP2BP1).

METHODSPS1TP2BP1 gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA 3.1/my-c-His A. The mRNAs isolated from HepG2 cells transfected recombinant eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA 3.1/myc-HisA-PS1TP2BP1 and pcDNA 3.1/myc-HisA empty vector were used to construct subtractive library. The differentially expressed genes were identified and analyzed.

RESULTS35 differentially expressed clones were obtained. Colony PCR identified 15 clones with 200-1000 bp inserts. Sequence analysis identified 15 differentially expressed genes.

CONCLUSIONThis study provides data for further characterize the function of PS1TP2BP1.

Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Carrier Proteins ; Cloning, Molecular ; Gene Library ; Genetic Vectors ; Hep G2 Cells ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; genetics ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Protein Precursors ; genetics ; Trans-Activators ; genetics

Brain ; abnormalities ; Diseases in Twins ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Eye Diseases ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Muscular Dystrophies ; genetics ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVETo identify the genes differentially expressed in leukemia cell apoptosis induced by recombinant soluble tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (rsTRAIL).

METHODSSuppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used for the cloning and identification of the genes differentially expressed in the apoptotic Jurkat cells induced by TRAIL. Slot blot and Northern blot were used for the expression pattern analysis of the genes. Automatic DNA sequencing was used for DNA sequence analysis.

RESULTSSix cDNA fragments differentially expressed in the Jurkat leukemia cells treated with TRAIL were found, in which four were inhibited and two were activated during the Jurkat cell apoptosis treated with TRAIL. Among which the five genes of A14, X1, D1, A23 and C5 were found at the first time by DNA sequencing and GeneBank database searching. So that they were registered in GeneBank as AW731601, AW731602, AW731603, AW731604 and BE239235, respectively. It was found that the gene D1 was expressed higher in Jurkat leukemia cells and MCF-7 breast cancer cells than that in K562 leukemia, 825 gastric cancer and 7721 liver cancer cells.

CONCLUSIONSFive novel cDNA fragments were found, and among which D1 might be a tumor specific gene.

Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; genetics ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Leukemia, T-Cell ; genetics ; pathology ; Ligands ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; pharmacology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVE: To develop the visual uroflow scale (VUS), analyze the relationship of VUS score and index of free uroflowmetry, assess urination function preliminarily and improve the work efficiency in the clinic. METHODS: Male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) patients, who attended the Department of Urology in Peking University People's Hospital from March 2016 to March 2017, were assessed for their urination function according to the Visual Uroflow Scale without help from clinicians before undertaking a free uroflowmetry test. And afterwards, a free uroflowmetry was undertaken, and variables including maximal flow rate (Qmax), the average flow rate (Qave) and voiding volume (VV) was obtained. During the study, 124 cases were collected and 53 cases met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in the study cohort. The Spearman correlation analysis was used for analyzing the correlation of VUS scores with free uroflowmetry variables and age. The validity of VUS was evaluated. RESULTS: Most of the patients could choose the very figure matched with self-condition by first instinct without any help from the clinician. The data were analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis. In the present study, voiding time was positively correlated with the VUS score (correlation coefficient, 0.62, P < 0.05). In the present cohort, the patients chose the third and fourth figures to take longer time to urinate, implying worse LUTS situation. Flow time and VUS scores were positively correlated (correlation coefficient, 0.61, P < 0.05). The patients with higher VUS scores would spend more time on urinate, no matter how long urinary hesitation was. Both Qmax and Qave were negatively correlated with the VUS score (correlation coefficient －0.54, －0.62, P < 0.05). The study illustrated that the VUS score suggested that the Qmax basically and further reflected the urination function. And its relationship to age revealed the decreased urination function of aging male, which had reached a consensus. CONCLUSION Development of VUS has helped the clinician assess the urination function preliminarily at the first time. Patients are assessed for a VUS score before getting surgery or receiving the drug for treatment, and can be re-assessed after. The VUS score can provide an objective quantitative basis to evaluate the treatment efficacy. In addition, considering that it is convenient, timesaving and easy to understand, the VUS is available for follow-up.
Cohort Studies ; Humans ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Male ; Urination ; Urodynamics