Objective]To evaluate the value of three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography(3D-TEE)in the applica?tion of percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusionin patients with atrial fibrillation.[Methods]7 patients with atrial fibrillation in Da?lian area(female 4,male 3,mean age 71.5 ± 3.3 years)were enrolled in the study.The maximum and minimum diameter and the max?imum depth ofleft atrial appendage were measured by 3D-TEE,and export morphology and leaf number were viewed.WATCHMAN occlude size was selectedby 3D-TEE. The process of operation was monitored by 3D-TEE. 3D-TEE was also performed in 3 months after the transcatheter closure.[Results]7 patients were performed the transcatheter closure therapy successfully. Preoperative 3D-TEE showed left atrial appendage export:5 cases were oval,and 2 cases were nearly circular. The leaf number was 1.6 ± 0.8. The maximum diameter of the left atrial appendage export was(23.1 ± 1.7)mm,(19.2 ± 2.1)mm minimum diameter,maximum depth of(27.6 ± 3.3)mm. The maximum diameter had good correlation with the size of occluder(r=0.944,P=0.001). 3D-TEE was used for guidance in the transcatheter therapy and succeeded. There were 1 case with little shunt after the transcatheter closure. 3 months af?ter the treatment ,position and shape of the occluderswere all in good.[Conclusion]3D-TEE has the great value in the percutaneous closure of left atrial appendage.

Objective To study the effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor(GM-CSF)on angiogenesis of rat with acute myocardial injury induced by isoproterenol(Iso). Methods A total of 60 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control group, GM-CSF pretreatment group (GM-CSF group), and lso injury group, 20 rats in each group. GM-CSF group was administered recombinant human(rh)GM-CSF(5.0 μg/kg), through tail intravenous injection once a day for three days. Then the GM-CSF group and the Iso injury group were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of lso( 15.0 mg/kg) once a day for three days. The same dose of saline was administered in the same way to the control rats. Ten days after injection, pathological changes of myocardial damage and infarct area were examined by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression levels of polypeptide antigen (CD34), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor KDR/flk- 1 were measured by RT-PCR. Results The difference of myocardial necrosis area between groups was statistically significant(F=10.07, P < 0.01), in which GM-CSF group[(37.37 ± 12.98)%] was significantly less than Iso injury group[(45.51 ±14.96)%, P < 0.05]. The difference of myocardial neovascularization density index of rats between groups was statistically significant ( F = 25.54, P < 0.05 ), in which GM-CSF group [(3980.05 ± 477.22) No/mm2] was significantly higher than Iso injury group((2605.93±361.49)No/mm2,P<0.01).The differences of myocardial CD34,VEGF,KDR/flk-1 mRNA expression between groups were statistically significant(F=17.83,4.29,4.10,all P<0.01).Compared to Iso mjury group[CD34(23.85±6.06),VEGF(31.80±8.05),KDR/flk-1(30.16±8.01)]were higher in the GM-CSF group[CD34(44.04±10.13),VEGF(49A±11.59),and KDR/flk-1(46A9±7.90),all P<0.01].The expressions of myocardiM VEGF mRNA and its receptor KDR/flk-1 mRNA was positively correlated(r=0.725,R2=0.526,P<0.01).Conclusions GM-CSF prelreatmcnt increases the density ofnew blood vessels in myocardium,and reduces the Iso-induced myocardial injury in rats.

Objective To probe into the application of left atrial volume tracking technique(LAVT)on the evaluation of right atrial function in patients with pulmonary hypertension.Methods Forty-one patients with pulmonary hypertension (pulmonary hypertension group) and 37 control subjects (control group) were involved.Right atrial maximal volume (RAVmax),right atrial presystolic volume(RAVpre),right atrial minimal volume (RAVmax),systolic right atrial filling rate (dv/dtS),early diastolic right atrial emptying rate(dv/dtE) and late diastolic right atrial emptying rate(dv/dtA) was derived by LAVT.Right atrial passive emptying volume (RAVp),right atrial passive emptying fraction (RAVpEF),right atrial active emptying volume (RAVa),right atrial active emptying fraction (RAVaEF),right atrial total emptying volume (RAVt)and right atrial total emptying fraction (RAVtEF) was calculated.All the right atrial volume parameter was corrected by body surface area to obtain right atrial volume index (RAVI).Results RAVImax,RAVImin,RAVIpre,RAVIt,RAVIa,dv/dtS and dv/dtA in pulmonary hypertension group was higher than that in control group [(78.39 ± 49.35) ml/m2 vs.(24.80 ± 11.91) ml/m2,(62.59 ± 46.56) ml/m2vs.(17.46 ± 8.40)ml/m2,(70.12 ± 48.03) ml/m2 vs.(20.02 ± 9.46) ml/m2,(18.77 ± 11.47) ml/m2 vs.(9.35 ± 6.74) ml/m2,(8.53 ± 9.81) ml/m2 vs.(3.25 ± 3.00) ml/m2,(145.85 ± 80.56) ml/s vs.(86.44 ± 48.46) ml/s,(155.63 ±126.47) ml/s vs.(67.74 ± 33.27) ml/s],and RAVIp in pulmonary hypertension group was lower than that in control group [(6.09 ± 5.16) ml/m2 vs.(10.23 ± 11.12) ml/m2],and there were significant differences (P ＜0.05).But there were no significant differences in RAVItEF,RAVIpEF,RAVIaEF and dv/dtE between two groups (P＞0.05).Conclusions In patients with pulmonary hypertension,right atrial booster pump function and reservoir function increases,while right atrial conduit function decreases.LAVT has a potential ability to evaluate right atrial function.

In this study, modification technology by surface coating was used to improve the flowability of powder of Chinese herbs extracts. Seven kinds of powder of Chinese herbs extracts were coated with 1% silica nanoparticles using an under-driven Comil. The powder characteristics tester was used to evaluate the flowability of uncoated and coated powders. Surface morphology and particle size distribution of powders were compared by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optical microscope. The powder hygroscopicity was also investigated. The results showed that, after modification, angle of repose, angle of spatula, compressibility and adhesiveness extremely decreased, and flowability index substantially increased, the powder flowability was significantly improved, especially Gegen and Dahuang extracts powders. Scanning electron microscopy images showed the distribution of silica nanoparticles on the host drug particle surfaces. There were no remarkable changes in the particle size distribution and hygroscopicity of all powders after coating. Therefore, Comilling for surface coating modification technology was an effective method to improve the flowability of Chinese herbs extracts and suggested a possible way forward to enhance the quality of Chinese drugs pharmaceutics in their study and manufacture.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; Particle Size ; Powders ; chemistry ; Surface Properties

Objective To investigate the condition of exercise, medicine compliance and the rehabilitation of patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) in lower extremity after the surgery, and also to study the influence of self-efficiency and social support to their rehabilitation. Methods The questionnaire survey was performed in 102 patients who had surgical or interventional therapy of arteriosclerosis obliterans in the lower extremity in our hospital, investigated the general information of the patients, their knowledge of postoperative rehabilitation, medicine compliance, exercise condition, general self-efficiency and social support. Results The postoperative time for the patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans was 2 to 22months, the knowledge rate for postoperative rehabilitation was 7.8%-46.1%.The Morisky score for the patients of taking medicine for the treatment of vascular disease was 2.0,and there was only 6 patients(5.9%)with good medicine compliance. There were 22 patients(21.0%) had completed the ambulation training according to the guidelines, and there were 25 patients(24.5%) had completed the Buerger training. The self-efficiency score of the patients was 2.78 ± 0.76, and the gross score of social support was 32.38 ± 7.89. Spearman correlation analysis shows that the Morisky score for the patients of taking medicine for the treatment of vascular disease was in positive correlation with self-efficiency (r=0.289, P=0.003), but in negative correlation with social support (r=–0.286, P=0.006). Conclusions Most of the patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans have poor medicine compliance, and do not do exercise as required by the guidelines. Patients with high self-efficiency demonstrates medicine noncompliance, however the enhancement of social support will help patients improve their medicine compliance.

Adult ; Comet Assay ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Female ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Male ; Peracetic Acid ; toxicity

italic>Artemisia argyi (A. argyi) is a Chinese herbal medicine in China. The main active components are volatile oils, flavonoids, and other compounds, which have various pharmacological activities. Methoxylated flavonoids are the main active ingredients in A. argyi. Flavonoid O-methyltransferase (FOMT) is a key enzyme in the O-methylation of flavonoids. In order to further understand the function and characteristics of FOMT proteins, this paper carried out the whole genome mining and identification of FOMT genes in A. argyi and performed phylogenetic, chromosomal localization, gene sequence characterization, subcellular localization prediction, protein structure, gene structure analysis, and expression pattern analysis. The results showed that a total of 83 FOMT genes were identified in the genome of A. argyi. The phylogenetic tree shows that FOMT genes are divided into two subgroups, CCoAOMT (caffeoyl CoA O-methyltransferase) subfamily (32 genes) and COMT (caffeic acid O-methyltransferase) subfamily (51 genes). Gene sequence analysis showed that the number of amino acids encoded by FOMT was 70-734 aa, the molecular weight was 25 296.55-34 241.3 Da, and the isoelectric point was 4.51-9.99. Compared with 32 members of the CCoAOMT subfamily, nearly 1/3 of the 51 members of the COMT subfamily were hydrophobic proteins and 2/3 were hydrophilic proteins. Subcellular localization prediction showed that more than 80% of CCoAOMT subfamily members were located in the cytoplasm, and 96% of COMT subfamily members were located in the chloroplast. COMT subfamily members have more motifs than CCoAOMT subfamily members. The N-terminal motifs of COMT subfamily proteins are relatively variable, while the C-terminal motifs are relatively conserved. Expression pattern analysis showed that CCoAOMT subfamily members were mainly expressed in roots, while COMT members were mainly expressed in leaves. Some FOMTs showed the tissue expression specificity by real-time quantitative PCR analysis, especially in leaves. In this study, we identified and analyzed the FOMT gene family in A. argyi, and provided a theoretical basis for further research on the function of FOMTs and the biosynthesis of methylated flavonoids in A. argyi.

Objective To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of hepatic metastasis from gastrointestinal stromal turnor(GIST).Methods The clinical data of 16 patients with GIST who had been admitted to our hospitalfrom December 1993 to May 2007 were retrospectively analyzed.Results Of all patients,14 underwent radical resection and 2 underwent palliative operation.Two patients with palliative operation and 3 with radical resection were administered with imatinib postoperatively. All patients were followed up for 3-161 months,and GIST metastasis and invasion was observed in 8 of the 14 patients who received radical resection.Of the 7 patients with hepatic metastasis.3 were treated with hepatic artery chemoembolization,1 was administered with imatinib,2 received reoperation and 1 did not receive any treatment. Reoperation was carried out on 1 patient who had abdominal wall metastasis.The 1-and 3-year survival rates of the 16 patients were 92%and 74%,respectively.Conclusions The recurrence rate of GIST after hepatectomy is high.Complete surgical resection is the best curative treatment for hepatic metastasis from GIST and GIST recurrence.The combination of surgical resection and imatinib administration may help to improve the prognosis of patients with hepatic metastasis from GIST.

BACKGROUND: Metal implants have been extensively applied in joint arthoplasty, but the stress shielding effect caused by its high elastic modulus results in a series of complications, such as bone resorption, bone atrophy and prosthesis loosening. Carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CF-PEEK) composites are anisotropic and exhibit more advantages used for prosthesis due to its low elastic modulus and high intensity.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the blood compatibility of CF-PEEK composites, and compare the biomechanical properties after arthroplasty between CF-PEEK composites and Co-Cr-Mo used for femoral head prosthesis. METHODS: (1) The blood compatibility of CF-PEEK composites was evaluated through hemolysis test. (2) Femoral samples from eight fresh cadavers were collected and randomly divided into two groups, followed by subjected to CF-PEEK and Co-Cr-Mo prosthesis replacement, respectively. The displacement between the prosthesis and bone was measured under loading 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 N, and the torsional strength after arthroplasty was detected.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The hemolysis rate of the CF-PEEK composites was 3.23% < 5%, which was in line with the national standards for biological evaluation of medical devices. (2) The micromovement in distal prosthesis was significantly less than that of proximal prosthesis under different loads in both two groups (P < 0.05). (3) The torsion angle under different loads in the CF-PEEK group was significantly less than that in the Co-Cr-Mo group (P < 0.05), and the torsion stiffness in the CF-PEEK group was significantly higher than that in the Co-Cr-Mo group (P < 0.05). (4) To conclude,the CF-PEEK composites possess good blood compatibility and stability, which can be used as a prosthesis material.

Objective To study the effects of carvedilol on the stability of plasma catecholamine in patients with post-acute myocardial infarction during consecutive periods. Methods Thirty-slx patients selected with acute myocardial infarction were randomized to experimental group treated with the nonselective beta-blocker earvedilol( n=18) and control group treated with the selective beta-blocker metoprolol(=18) for 12-months follow-up. In the two groups,the concentrations of plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine were measured before the treatment and after 2 months,4 months,6 months,8 mouths,10 months and 12 months and new cardiac events were supervised. Results After the treatment, in each point of periods, experimental group showed lower concentrations of plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine statistically than control group(P<0.05) ,and a stable dynamic change during 12 months of treat-ment( P>0.05 ) ;the occurrence rate of new cardiac events was lower significantly in experimental group than in con-trol group(P<0.05). Conclusion Carvedilol can decrease the spillover of sympathetic nerve, control more stably cardiac sympathetic nerve activity and then decrease more sharply the occurrence rate of new cardiac events in pa-tients with acute myocardial infarction than metoprolol.