Objective:To study the feasibility and mechanism of pioglitazone,an agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ?(PPAR?) in resolution of monosodium urate monohydrate(MSU) crystal-induced arthritis.Methods: A rat model of acute gouty arthritis was induced with the injection of 1mg(20 mg/ml?50 ?l) MSU into rat ankle joint cavity.Dynamic mRNA expressions of PPAR? in synovium at 0 h,4 h,8 h,24 h and 48 h after MSU injection were determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).The effects of pioglitazone(4 mg?kg~(-1)?d~(-1) and 20 mg?kg~(-1)?d~(-1)) on arthritis were investigated through assessing clinical features and histopathologic changes in rats at 2 h,4 h,6 h,8 h,10 h,12 h,24 h and 48 h after arthritis induction.Results: The mRNA expression of PPAR? in synovium of rats with arthritis was significantly increased in a time-dependent manner and peaked at 48 h after MSU injection.The anti-arthritis effects of pioglitazone were not significant during 24 h after induction,and high dose other than low dose of pioglitazone significantly ameliorated the inflammation,swelling,disability index and histopathologic changes at 48 h after MSU injection in rats.Conclusion: Pioglitazone has obvious anti-inflammatory properties in gouty arthritis.Elevated expression of PPAR? in synovium after arthritis induction may contribute to effects of PPAR? agonist and resolution of acute attacks of gout.

Objective To analyze the clinical features of sarcoidosis for improving the recognition of the articular manifestations of sarcoidosis.Methods The clinical data of 63 patients with sarcoidosis confirmed by biopsy were retrospectively analyzed.Results In 13 patients with sarcoidosis articular manifestations appeared (20 6%).Seven patients with sarcoidosis showed arthritis.Five patients of them showed oligoarthritis that was asymmetric and affected especially knees,ankles and ivrists.Two patients of them showed polyarthritis.Six patients with sarcoidosis showed arthralgia.Conclusion The articular manifestations of sarcoidosis may be divided into 3 types which are oligoarthritis,polyarthritis and arthralgia.The articular manifestations of sarcoidosis are of no specific characteristics.The diagnotic possibility of sarcoidosis should be considered for the joint involvements.

Remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema (RS3PE) is a syndrome associated with many conditions, including malignant neoplasms. One case T-cell malignant lymphoma whose first manifestation was RS3PE syndrome is reported, and the related literature is reviewed. RS3PE syndrome can be classified as primary and secondary one. The secondary RS3PE syndrome may not be a specific disease, and its prognosis depends on the primary disorders. The RS3PE syndrome associated with malignant neoplasms is called paraneoplastic RS3PE syndrome. Systemic symptoms and signs, eosinophilia and high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) may indicate the possible presence of malignant lymphoma.

Objective To analyze the relationship between the clinical features and the dysfunction and derangement of knee osteoarthritis(OA),in order to improve the understanding of knee OA.Methods Clinical data including symptoms,physical signs,X-ray,arthroscopical findings,pathologic changes,preopera-tive and postoperative diagnosis,treatment and curative effects from206post-arthroscopy patients with OA were analyzed retrospectively.Results The common physical signs were tenderness in knee,positive grinding test of patella,McMurray sign,fricative,muscular atrophy of quadriceps femoris,and stretch or flexion limita-tion.X-ray abnormalities were found as follows in decreasing freguency:bony hyperplasia,articular facet sclero-sis,osteoporosis,uneven articular surface,narrowing of joint space and loose bodies.Arthroscopical findings were as follows:synovial congestion and proliferation,hypertrophy or entrapment of fat pad,osteophyte,syn-ovial fold entrapment,stripping of cartilage,meniscal lesions,subchondral bone exposure,anterior cruciate lig-ament friction or obstruction,and loose bodies.The common diseases that liable to misdiagnosis preoperatively were synovial chondroma,anterior cruciate ligament impingement syndrome and meniscal lesions.The rate of excellent and good results after arthroscopic treatment was86.6%.Conclusion Hypertrophy and entrapment of fat pad,thickening and entrapment of synovial fold,stripping of cartilage,meniscal lesions,anterior cruciate ligament friction or obstruction,and loose bodies are the key factors that cause knee dysfunction in OA.The arthroscopic treatment is an effective supplement in treating knee OA.

Aim To investigate the effect of atorvastatin on AngⅡ-induced hypertrophic myocytes in vitro.Methods Hypertrophy in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes(MC) was established via culture with angiotensin Ⅱ(AngⅡ),then the effect of atorvastatin on the hypertrophy was detected.The surface area of MC was analyzed with the aid of NIH Image J software,and the synthetic rate of protein in MC was detected with()~3H-leucine incorporation.mRNA expression of atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP),brain natriuretic peptide(BNP) and Corin was measured using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Results The surface area,()~3H-leucine incorporation and mRNA expression of ANP,BNP and Corin in hypertrophic myocytes were decreased after treatment of atorvastatin in a dose-dependent manner,but no change was found in the myocytes treated with DMSO.Conclusion Atorvastatin inhibits cardiac hypertrophy in vitro and the role might be independent of the cholesterol lowering effect of atorvastatin.