Adolescent ; Heart Valve Diseases ; etiology ; Heart Valves ; pathology ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; complications ; pathology ; Male

Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Benzenesulfonates ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Workplace

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cross Infection ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Length of Stay ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND:Liushen Pil is a traditional Chinese herbal formula, has the effects of heat-clearing and detoxicating, eliminating stagnation, detumescence and al eviating pain. Modern pharmacology verifies that Liushen Pil has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, cardiac, anti-viral, anti-tumor effects, and has been extensively used in the treatment of various infectious diseases and malignant cancer. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the inhibitory effects of Liushen Pil on esophageal cancer xenografts, and effects on microvessel density and vascular endothelial growth factor expression. METHODS:After reproducing nude mouse models of human esophageal cancer, 48 nude mice were randomly divided into high-dose Liushen Pil group, moderate-dose Liushen Pil group, low-dose Liushen Pil group, cisplatin group, model group and blank group. According to medication regimen, drugs were given. The growth of transplanted tumor of nude mice was dynamical y observed in each group. The nude mice were sacrificed after 20 days of treatment. Neoplasm weight was taken and the tumor-suppressing rate was calculated. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect microvessel density and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The weight of transplanted tumor was significantly lower in the high-dose Liushen Pil group, moderate-dose Liushen Pil group, low-dose Liushen Pil group, and cisplatin group than in the model group (P<0.05). Microvessel density and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor were obviously lower in the each Liushen Pil group than in the model group, but not as apparent as that in the cisplatin group. Results suggested that Liushen Pil can inhibit the growth of the esophageal cancer xenografts. Liushen Pil can down-regulate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and reduce microvessel density, which is one of the tumor-inhibiting mechanism of Liushen Pil .

Objective To determine whether pyloric measurements with ultrasound, that muscle thickness and channel of pyloric, correlated with weight and age in patients with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 111 cases diagnosed with HPS by operation from 2008 to 2012. Pearson correlation and linear regression analyses were used to determine if there were sta?tistically signiifcant associations between these combinations of factors:age and pyloric muscle thickness, weight and pyloric muscle thickness, age and pyloric length, and weight and pyloric length. Results Patients’mean age was 39.1 d (8-92 days). Their mean weight was 4.3 kg (2.2-7.9 kg). Mean pyloric muscle thickness was 4.8 mm (2-4.6 mm), and mean pyloric length was 17.5 mm (12-23.5 mm). Pearson correlation coefifcient analysis showed a signiifcant correlation between age and muscle thickness (r=0.6, P<0.001) as well as weight and muscle thickness (r=0.486, P<0.001). No signiifcant correlation was found be?tween pyloric length and age or weight. Linear regression analysis demonstrated similar results. Conclusions In patients with HPS, pyloric muscle thickness was directly related to age and weight. Smaller and younger infants with suspected diagnosis of HPS should be followed up even though the minimum diagnostic criterion for muscle thickness or length was not found on ultrasound.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and predictive value of high-resolution manometry(HRM) for POEM in treating achalasia. Methods A total of 84 achalasia patients categorized into subtypes by HRM, who also underwent POEM, were enrolled in our study. Eckardt score, Barium esophagogram and HRM were performed before, 6 months and 1 year after POEM. Results POEM was successfully performed in all 84 patients. No perforation occurred in any patient. The Eckardt scores and esophageal diameter after POEM significantly reduced compared with those before(P<0. 05). The 4s-IRP decreased from 33. 4±9. 0 mmHg (1 mmHg =0. 133 kPa) to 14. 6±3. 8 mmHg six months after POEM (P<0. 05) and to 16. 4±3. 9 mmHg one year after POEM (VS preoperate, P<0. 05). The LESP before treatment was 41. 8±15. 4 mmHg, decreasing to 18. 4±7. 1 mmHg six months after POEM (P<0. 05) and 20. 7±7. 6 mmHg one year after POEM (VS preoperate, P <0. 05) . When categorizing patients into 3 subtypes by HRM, 4s-IRP of type II showed the most dramatic decrease six months after POEM(62. 8%), followed by typeⅠ(53. 5%), while type III had the least decrease(41. 8%). The mean decreasing rate of LESP in type III was 42. 3% six months after POEM, followed by typeⅠ(55. 3%) , while type II showed the highest rate(57. 8%). Conclusion POEM is a safe treatment for achalasia and has significant short-term efficacy with Type II responding best to POEM. HRM plays a vital role in typing AC and predicting the effectiveness of POEM and can be useful in selecting an appropriate treatment.

Aspergillosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Child ; Humans ; Male

Adolescent ; Adult ; Dimethylformamide ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Lipid Metabolism ; drug effects ; Liver ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Young Adult

Coronary Restenosis ; pathology ; Fibroblasts ; metabolism ; pathology ; Fibrosis

Objective To investigate the role of extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK) signal pathway in mechanical stretch induced high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) expression on alveolar epithelial cells (A549). MethodsA549 cells were cultured and seeded at 1×10~5 cells/ml in 6-well Bioflex cell culture plates. Subsequently, the cells were exposed to cyclic mechanical stretch at 14% (group B) elongation for 4 hours using Flexercell 4000T cell stretching unit. In group C, cells were pretreated with PD98059 for 2 hours before mechanical stretch. Cells in group A without stretch were served as control. The expression of HMGB1 protein and mRNA in A549 cells were detected by immunocytochemisty staining and RT-PCR, respectively. ERK activity was measured by Western blotting method. Results Immunocytochemisty staining indicated that the expression of HMGB1 protein in A549 cells was increased obviously in group B (P<0.05) and decreased in group C (P<0.05). Polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed that the expression of HMGB1 mRNA was also significantly increased in group B (P<0.05) and decreased in group C (P<0.05). Western blotting analysis confirmed the activation of ERK in A549 cells by mechanical stretch (P<0.05). PD98059, an inhibitor of ERK, might significantly inhibit mechanical stretch induced HMGB1 protein and mRNA expression in A549 cells (P<0.05). Conclusion Mechanical stretch could regulate the expression of HMGB1 gene and protein in A549 cells through ERK signal pathway.