Objective To investigate the effects of arsenic on liver Fas/FasL expression in mice and to observe the antagonize effect of zinc. Methods Sixty health Kunming mice were divided into five groups according to their body mass: negative control group(no arsenic and no zinc), arsenic group(55 mg/L NaAsO2 solution), low dose zinc intervention group(55 mg/L NaAsO2 solution and 20 mg/L ZnSO4 solution), middle dose zinc intervention group (55 mg/L NaAsO2 solution and 40 mg/L ZnSO4 solution), and high dose zinc intervention group (55 mg/LNaAsO2 solution and 80 mg/L ZnSO4 solution). Everyday the solution was given by oral gavage at a dose of 0.02 ml/g body weight for six weeks. The expression of Fas/FasL in mice liver was examined by immunohistochemistry.Results With the amount of zinc increasing, the expression of both Fas and FasL in mice liver decreased gradually. The expression rates of Fas[83.33%(10/12), 50%(6/12)] and FasL[66.67%(8/12), 41.67%(5/12)]in low dose zinc intervention group and middle dose zinc intervention group, respectively, were different from the expression rate of Fas[8.33%(1/12)] and FasL[0.00%(0/12)] in the negative control group(all P < 0.05). The Fas expression rate of middle dose zinc intervention group[50%(6/12)] and the high dose zinc intervention group [25%(3/12)] was compared with the arsenic group[8.33%(1/12)], and the difference was statistically significant (all P < 0.01 ). The FasL expression rate of the middle dose zinc intervention group [41.67% (5/12 )] and the high dose zinc intervention group[16.67%(2/12)] was compared with positive control group[91.67%(11/12)], and the difference was statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusions Arsenic can increase the expression of Fas and FasL in mice liver, and promote apoptosis in liver, zinc may antagonize the effect of arsenic.

Pachydermoperiostosis is a rare genetic disease affecting both skin and bones. Excluding some secondary causes such as pulmonary or cardiac disease, young men with digital clubbing, pachydermia and periostosis should be considered to be suffering from pachydermoperiostosis.

Objective To assess left ventricular(LV) longitudinal strain in patients with coronary heart disease by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2DSTI),and to explore the clinical value of 2D longitudinal strain in detecting myocardial ischemia. Methods Forty-four patients with coronary heart disease (CHD group) and 28 age-matched subjects (control group) were enrolled into this study. The two-dimensional data were obtained in apical 4-chamble, 2-chamber and long axis view. And the longitudinal strains of every segments, the average longitudinal strain of LV 18 segments (SL18), the average longitudinal strain of 12 segments (SL12,excluded the 6 apical segments) were analyzed. Results In the patients with CHD, the longitudinal strain of ischemia segments and the global LV longitudinal strain were significantly decreased than that of the control subjects. Both in patients with CHD and in control subjects,the longitudinal strains in apical segments were higher than that of middle and basal segments. There was significant difference between SL18 and SL12 ( P=0.027 in CHD group and P =0.003 in control group).Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis demonstrated that the cutoff point of SL18 to detect myocardial ischemia was - 18.8％ (sensitivity 80.2％ and specificity 74.1％ ) ,and the cutoff point of SL12 to detect myocardial ischemia was - 17.8％ ( sensitivity 81.7％ and specificity 85.6％ ). Conclusions 2D longitudinal strain was sensitive to detect myocardial ischemia, SL12 was better than SL18 in detecting myocardial ischemia. 2DSTI might be useful for identifying patients with severe CHD.

Objective To assess the left ventricular function of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and its correlation with cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and specific manifestation of electrocardiogram (ECG) by automated function imaging (AFI) of two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging.Methods Forty-six AMI patients who had AMI for the first time and had been treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention and 30 healthy controls who were age and sex-related to infarct group were involved.The values of cTnT within 24 hours after admission of AMI patients were recorded and the values of ST segment elevation were measured accurately.All the subjects were analyzed for longitudinal peak systolic strain (LPSS) values and the bull' s eyes by AFI.Results Compared to control group, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), global and infarcted LPSS of infarct group were significantly different and the values of ST elevation of infarct group were higher than those of control group.Both global,infarcted segmental LPSS were significant closely correlated to LVEF and cTnT,respectively (P＜0.001,all).Both global, infarcted segmental LPSS were correlated to ST elevation (P ＜0.05,all).Global LPSS had the closest correlation with LVEF (r = -0.565, P＜0.001) and so did infarcted LPSS with cTnT (r = 0.432, P ＜0.01).Conclusions As a procedural simple and rapid diagnostic tool,AFI provides reliable and useful information of the assessment of AMI.Both global and infarcted segmental LPSS have well described left ventricular function of AMI patients.Compared to LVEF, LPSS was more closely correlated to cTnT and ST segment elevation, which meant that LPSS was more sensitive and more closely related to real infarct size and actual involved range of AMI.

Objective To assess the correlation between time during admission to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and left ventricular function recovery of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (STI).The clinical value of STI in assessing therapeutic effect of AMI treated by PCI and estimation of the prognosis were discussed.Methods Sixty-one AMI patients who had AMI for the first time and had been treated by primary PCI were enrolled.Dynamic images were acquired before PCI,at 7 days after PCI and 30 days after PCI and analyzed by STI.The time during admission to PCI of AMI patients was recorded accurately.Dynamic images were analyzed for longitudinal peak systolic strain (LPSS) values (global,infarcted area) by STI.According to the comparison of left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) before PCI and 30 days after PCI,patients were divided into left ventricular function improved group (ΔLVEF≥5 ％) and not-improved group,and the values of LPSS and time during admission to PCI were compared between the two group respectively.Results Compared to not-improved group,the time during admission to PCI in improved group was lower ( P ＜0.001),infarcted segmental LPSS at 7 days after PCI ( P ＜0.05) and both global ( P ＜0.001) and infarcted segmental LPSS ( P ＜0.001) at 30 days after PCI in improved group were higher than those in not-improved group.Linear regression analysis showed that both global and infarcted segmental LPSS were significant correlated to LVEF respectively ( P ＜0.001,all).Infarcted segmental LPSS at 7 days after PCI were correlated to the time during admission to PCI ( P ＜0.05).LVEF ( r =0.303,P ＜0.05),global ( r =0.300,P ＜0.05)and infarcted segmental LPSS ( r =0.590,P ＜0.001) at 30 days after PCI were correlated to the time during admission to PCI.Conclusions STI provides reliable and useful clinical information for the assessment of therapeutic effect of AMI treated by PCI and estimation of the prognosis by sensitively presenting the close correlation between time during admission to PCI and left ventricular function recovery of AMI patients.

Animals ; Cognition ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Phytotherapy ; methods

Adenocarcinoma ; therapy ; Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Carboplatin ; administration & dosage ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; therapy ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Doxorubicin ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Lymph Node Excision ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; therapy

Objective To explore protective effect of Heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) on irradiation-induced endothelial cell apoptosis.Methods Human endothelial cell line EA.hy926 were administered with or without HO-1 activator Copp and/or HO-1 inhibitor Znpp,respectively.Then,cells were treated with or without 8 Gy radiation.The HO-1 protein expression of cells were assessed with Western blotting and apoptosis of cells treated with irradiation were evaluated with flow cytometry.Moreover,cytochrome C releasing into cytosol were also determined by Western blotting. Results In PBS+R group,HO-1 protein expression of EA.hy926 was low posterior to irradiation.When cells were preconditioned with Copp and/or Znpp,then recieved with 8Gy irradiation,the HO-1 protein expression of EA.hy926 increased significantly in comparision with the PBS+R group(P

OBJECTIVEThe present study investigated the effects of rapamycin on Aβ1-42-induced deficits in working memory and synaptic plasticity.

METHODSAfter bilateral hippocampal injection of Aβ1-42 and rapamycinin rats, spontaneous alternation in Y-maze and in vivo hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) of rats were recorded. All data were analized by two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).

RESULTS(Hippocampal injection of Aβ1-42 alone impaired working memory of rats; (2) Rapamycin did not affect working memory of rats, but alleviated Aβ1-42-induced working memory deficits, compared with Aβ1-42 alone group; (Aβ1-42 remarkably suppressed in vivo hippocampal LTP of fEPSPs in the CA1 region; (4) Pretreatment with rapamycin prevented Aβ1-42-induced suppression of LTP.

CONCLUSIONThese data indicates that rapamycin could protect against Aβ1-42-induced impairments in working memory and synaptic plasticity in rats.

Amyloid beta-Peptides ; adverse effects ; Animals ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; Long-Term Potentiation ; Maze Learning ; Memory, Short-Term ; drug effects ; Neuronal Plasticity ; drug effects ; Peptide Fragments ; adverse effects ; Rats ; Sirolimus ; pharmacology

Objective To study the roles of abnormal expressions of Caspase-8 and protein kinase C(PKC)-β of cardiomyocytes in the development of the apoptosis of cardiomyocyte in diabetic rat. Methods Rats were divided into 4 groups:(1)normal control (NC, n=37),(2)rats given STZ injection and normal diet(STZ,n= 42), (3) rats fed with high fat and high sngar ( HFS, n= 37), (4)rats given STZ injection and high fat and high sugar diet (type 2 DM, n=64). Plasma glucose, insulin and lipids were detected. At the end of experiment, the animals were sacrificed, and their hearts were examined. Pathological changes were observed and the expressions of Caspase-8, PKC-β mRNA were determined by real time-PCR method; apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Results (1)The body weight was higher in HFS group than in other three groups, and progressively decreased in type 2 diabetes group. The glucose level was highest in diabetic group, and was similar between groups of HFS and NC. (2)The apoptosis showed tendency to ascend during course of disease in diabetes model group. (3)The expressions of Caspase-8 and PKC-β mRNA were significantly enhanced in diabetes model group than in normal control group, and had a tendency to ascend during the course of disease.(4)The myocardial cells of the diabetic rats were rarified and swelling, fibrosis was observed. (5)At the 16th week, the level of plasma glucose was correlated positively with the expressions of Caspase-8 and PKC-β mRNA. Conclusions The enhancement of expressions of Caspase-8 amd PKC-β may play iportat rols in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy,in which apoptosis of the cardiomyocytes increased.