OBJECTIVETo evaluate and summarize the possibility and experience of reconstructive vascular operation for kinking of internal carotid artery.

METHODSReconstructive vascular operation was performed on 5 patients with symptomatic kinking of internal carotid artery between July 2008 and June 2009. There were 2 male and 3 female patients, age ranged from 53 to 68 years (mean 62 years). Cutting the internal carotid artery at the bifurcation, mobilizing and stretching the internal carotid artery, then anastomosing the internal and common carotid artery. Two of them underwent endarterectomy simultaneously.

RESULTSFor the 5 patients, postoperative recovery went smoothly and symptoms were well improved. Except that mild high perfusion syndrome happened in 1 patient, no other obvious complications. Kinking of internal carotid artery had been stretched in the postoperative CT angiography. In the 5-16-month follow-up, no transient ischemic attack or cerebral infarction happened, and no restenosis appeared.

CONCLUSIONSReconstructive vascular operation is an effective surgical approach to kinking and coiling of the internal carotid artery. For some risk exists, all-round evaluation should be performed before operation, and operative indication should be strictly controlled.

Aged ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Carotid Stenosis ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Vascular Surgical Procedures ; adverse effects ; methods

ObjectiveTo investigate the current status of Kaschin-Beck disease in Shandong province, and to provide a scientific basis for decision-making in controlling the disease. Methods According to the National Monitoring Program of Kaschin-Beck disease requirements, historical serious villages of Kaschin-Beck disease in Qingzhou of Shandong province were selected annually; children aged 7 to 16 were chosen to receive clinical examination and children aged 7 to 12 were taken X-ray examination. Clinical and X-ray diagnosis was carried out according to the Diagnostic Criteria of Kashin Beck Disease(GB 16003-1995). Results From 1996 to 2010, in 53 diseased villages, three thousand three hundred and eighteen school children aged 7 to 16 were clinically diagnosed, and child Kaschin-Beck disease of degree Ⅰ and above were not detected; three thousand and ninety-one school children aged 7 to 12 were examined by X-ray, forty cases were found positive, and the total positive rate was 1.29％(40/3091 ). The year with the highest positive rate was 2002, and the rate was 3.49％(13/372) ; the positive rate was 0 in 1996 and 2008. The difference of the X-ray positive rate between each year was statistically significant(x2 =31.54, P ＜ 0.01 ). ConclusionsChild Kashin-Beck disease in Qingzhou is basically under control.Since etiology of Kashin-Beck disease is still unclear, surveillance of the disease still needs to be strengthened.

Objective To investigate the promoter methylation of drug metabolism genes CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 in thyroid cancer and its relationship with clinical pathological characteristics. Method 201 cases of thyroid cancer and 23 cases of normal thyroid tissues were involved. Methylation-specific PCR ( MSP ) was performed to analyze promoter methylation of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 genes in the above tissues to detect the frequency of methylation positive, compare the promoter methylation level of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 genes in papillary thyroid carcinomas ( PTC) and the controls. Five thyroid cancer cell lines were treated with methyltransferase inhibitor 5-Aza-dC for 5 days, and real time PCR ( RT-PCR) was performed to evaluate the mRNA expression of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 genes. Logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between the aberrant methylation and the clinical features. Results Aberrant methylation status in promoter region of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 genes were detected in all kinds of thyroid cancers. Compared with control tissues, the methylation in promoter regions of CYP1A1 in PTCs was significantly higher, while that in promoter regions of CYP1B1 was lower (P<0.05). In vitro, 5-Aza-dC treatment significantly increased the CYP1A1 gene mRNA expression for 6. 92 and 8. 30 times in K1 and C643 cell lines respectively and restored CYP1B1 gene mRNA expression for 7.62 times in K1 cell line. Compared with the controls, PTCs with methylation in promoter regions of CYP1B1 had decreased lymphatic metastasis rate. Conclusion The methylation in promoter regions of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 gene may regulate their mRNA expressions. Aberrant methylation of the promoter region of CYP1B1 is associated with lymph node metastasis in PTC.

OBJECTIVETo detect the mutations of Krit-1 gene that cause familial cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) in the Han ethnic origin.

METHODSThe subjects were hospitalized in the Department of Neurosurgery, Tiantan Hospital affiliated to Capital University of Medical Sciences. Two families (A and B) and 8 apparently sporadic individuals affected with CCM were screened for mutations of Krit-1 gene. Members of the family CCM have a wide range in age of onset with seizures, headaches and skin lesions. The gene was screened by PCR amplification of 16 exons and mutation was detected by direct sequencing.

RESULTSIn family A samples, analysis of the Krit-1 gene revealed a new point mutation in exon 14 [a heterozygous C to G transition at nucleotide 1 289 (counting from the start codon or nt 2 308 counting from the first nt of the mRNA, aligned according to Gene Bank AF388384)] which predicts the substitution of a premature termination codon for Serine at codon 430 (S430X), belonging a nonsense point mutation. No mutation was identified in one of family A members as well as in any of the sporadic individuals with the exception of a single nucleotide polymorphism.

CONCLUSIONSReport the first family in the Han with CCM having a novel mutation in the CCM1 gene on the continent of Asia. The newly identified mutation creates a premature termination codon and is predicted to produce a truncated Krev1 interaction-trapped 1 protein, KRIT1. This result allows efficient presymptomatic molecular diagnosis.

Adult ; Base Sequence ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System ; genetics ; pathology ; Humans ; KRIT1 Protein ; Male ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; genetics ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; genetics

Hypoxic preconditioning could improve the survival of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in ischemic or hypoxic environments, but its exact mechanism remains to be further explored. This study aims to determine the role of lysine crotonylation (Kcr) in regulating the survival and proliferation of peripheral blood mesenchymal stem cells (PBMSCs) in the hypoxic culture. PBMSCs were isolated and cultured from rat peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and their surface markers were identified by flow cytometry. PBMSCs were first subjected to hypoxic/ normoxic preconditioning: hypoxic (1% O

In order to develop clinical diagnostic tools for rapid detection of the SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus) and to identify candidate proteins for vaccine development, the C-terminal portion of the nucleocapsid (NC) gene was amplified using RT-PCR from the SARS-CoV genome, cloned into a yeast expression vector (pEGH), and expressed as a glutathione S-transferase (GST) and Hisx6 double-tagged fusion protein under the control of an inducible promoter. Western analysis on the purified protein confirmed the expression and purification of the NC fusion proteins from yeast. To determine its antigenicity, the fusion protein was challenged with serum samples from SARS patients and normal controls. The NC fusion protein demonstrated high antigenicity with high specificity, and therefore, it should have great potential in designing clinical diagnostic tools and provide useful information for vaccine development.
Antigens, Viral ; immunology ; Cloning, Molecular ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genetic Vectors ; Genome, Viral ; Humans ; Nucleocapsid Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; immunology ; Yeasts ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo explore the affecting factors on coronary heart disease among people over 40 years of age in Guangxi area, China.

METHODSBaseline data was gathered through the Third National Blood Pressure Survey in 1991 in China. A total number of 11 818 adults over 40 years old had been studied in Guangxi province. Data of morbidity and mortality of coronary heart disease was obtained.

RESULTSCardiovascular events were related to systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, smoking, BMI regardless of their myocardial infarct (MI) history. Cox regression analysis showed that the relative risk for cardiovascular events increased by 21 [95% confidence interval (CI): 9.06-48.44] times for those people having MI history. When pulse pressure, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure increased by every 10 mm Hg, the relative risk for cardiovascular events increased by 1.29 (95% CI: 1.11-1.49), 1.18 (95% CI: 1.02-1.22), 1.13 (95% CI: 1.05-1.28) respectively. There was 1.23 (95% Cl: 1.05-1.45) times higher in smoker than non-smoker on relative risk for cardiovascular events. When BMI increasing 1, the relative risk for cardiovascular events would increase 1.03 (95% CI: 1.01-1 .05) times.

CONCLUSIONHypertension, smoking, increase of BMI were the risk factors of coronary heart disease among people who were over 40 years of age.

Adult ; Body Mass Index ; China ; epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Confidence Intervals ; Coronary Disease ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Hypertension ; complications ; Myocardial Infarction ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of apple polyphenols on pulmonary vascular remodeling in rats with pulmonary arterial hypertension and its mechanism. METHODS: Rats were randomly divided into 4 groups:control (Con) group, monocrotaline (MCT) group, apple polyphenol (APP) group,monocrotaline + apple polyphenol (MCT+APP) group. In Con group, rats received a subcutaneous injection of physical saline. In APP group, rats received intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg APP, every other day. In MCT group, rats received a single subcutaneous injection of MCT(60 mg/kg). In MCT+APP group, rats received subcutaneous injection of 60 mg/kg MCT followed by an intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg APP every other day. All the disposal lasted 3 weeks. Then the PAH-relevant indicators, such as mean pulmonary artery pressure(mPAP), pulmonary vascular resistance(PVR), right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI) ,wall thickness (WT%) and wall area (WA%) were tested. After that, the inflammatory pathway related indicators, such as interleukin1(IL-1),interleukin1(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α), cyclooxygenase 2(COX-2) and myeloperoxidase(MPO) in pulmonary tissue and free intracellular Ca in pulmonary smooth muscle cell(PASMC), content of eNOS and NO in endothelial cells were determined. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the levels of mPAP, PVR, RVHI, WA%, WT%, and IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, COX-2, MPO in tissue and the expression of Ca in PASMC of MCT group were increased significantly, while the contents of eNOS and NO in endothelial cells were decreased significantly (P＜0.05). Compared with the MCT group, the apple polyphenol treatment could improve the above mentioned situation, and the COX-2 and Ca indicators of the apple polyphenol treatment group were decreased significantly (P＜0.05). CONCLUSION MCT can increase COX-2 expression and intracellular Ca in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, decrease the contents of eNOS and NO in endothelial cells, while apple polyphenols can significantly inhibit these effects.
Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; metabolism ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Malus ; chemistry ; Monocrotaline ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; metabolism ; Polyphenols ; pharmacology ; Pulmonary Artery ; drug effects ; pathology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Vascular Remodeling ; drug effects

Objective: To study the therapeutic effect of Huoxue Tongluo Decoction (HXTLD) on erectile dysfunction caused by ischemic stroke and identify the mechanisms involved. Methods: Network pharmacology was used to predict the key active ingredients and targets of HXTLD. Surgical methods were used to create a rat model of ischemic stroke. The rats were then given a suspension of HXTLD by ig administration. Erectile function was evaluated by Apomorphine (APO) induction. Real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of related mRNAs and proteins in rat penile corpus cavernous tissue and brain tissue. Hematoxylin & Eosin (HE) staining was used to investigate structural changes in the penile cavernous tissue. Results: Network pharmacology showed that tumor necrosis factor (TNF), nitric oxide synthase 3 (eNOS), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were the key targets of HXTLD in the treatment of erectile dysfunction caused by ischemic stroke. Experimental studies showed that HXTLD improved erectile dysfunction caused by ischemic stroke. HE results showed that HXTLD improved the structure of the corpus cavernosa. HXTLD also inhibited the expression of TNF and VEGF proteins in penile tissue (P < 0.05) and enhanced the expression of eNOS protein in penile tissue (P < 0.05). Conclusion: HXTLD improved the erectile function of rats with erectile dysfunction caused by ischemic stroke by regulating the mRNA and protein levels of TNF, eNOS and VEGF.

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of Baeckea frutescens resulted in the isolation of three new mono- or sesquiterpene-based meroterpenoids, frutescones S-U (1-3), and one pair of new (±)-5,7-dihydroxy-8-isobutyryl-6-methyldihydroflavonol (4). Their structures and absolute configurations were established by HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR, and quantum chemical ECD calculation. Compound 1 exhibited inhibitory effect on NO production in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages with an IC value being 0.81 μmol·L.