Objective To investigate the effects of levocarnitine used as an ingredient of cardioplegic solution on cardiomyocyte apoptosis in patients undergoing heart valve replacement under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) .Methods Twenty-four NYHA grade Ⅱ or Ⅲ patients of both sexes (16 males, 8 females) aged 27-67 yrs undergoing heart valve replacement under CPB were randomly allocated into 2 groups (n = 12): levocarnitine group and control group. In levocarnitine group levocarnitine 6 g was added to 1 000 ml of 4℃ St Thomas Ⅱ cardioplegic solution, while in control group equal volume of normal saline was added instead of levocarnitine. Cardioplegic solution 15 ml?kg-1 was injected to perfuse the heart every 30 min during aortic cross-clamping. The KC1 concentration of the cardioplegic solution was reduced by half for the last injection. During CPB the naso pharyngeal temperature was maintained at 25-27℃. Cardiac index (CI) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were measured 1 day before and 7 days after operation using heart color ultrasonography. A small piece of myocardial tissue was obtained from right atrium for assessment of apoptosis using terminal deoxynueleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) . The expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in cardiomyocytes was determined by immuno-histochemistry, and Bcl-2/Bax ratio was calculated. Results The rate of restoration of spontaneous heart beat after aortic unclamping was significantly higher in levocarnitine group than in control group (86.6% vs 47.3%) (P

Objective To detect the expression of BAT2L protein in developmental brain of rats.Methods Expression,distribution and location of BAT2L protein in developmental brain rats on embryonic day 18,postnatal days 1,7 and 15 and in adult at different time points were detected by Western blotting analysis,immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence,respectively.Results Western blotting showed that the BAT2L protein expression level was higher in brain of rats on embryonic day 18,postnatal days 1 and 7 than on postnatal day 15 and in brain of adult rats.Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence showed that the BAT2L protein was distributed and located in cell membrane and cytoplasm of neurons but not in nuclei and extra-cellular space.Positive neurons were widely distributed in cerebral and cerebellar cortex,hippocampus and cerebral ganglion.The morphology of neurons was significantly different in newborn and adult rats.Positive prominences and branches of certain neurons were found in brain tissues of newborn rats but hardly in those of adult rats.Conclusion BAT2L protein is specifically expressed in cell body,membrane and prominence of neurons in brain of rats.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of the intervention by the family members on the rehabilitation of dysfunction of the patients with hemiplegia after acute cerebral infarction.MethodsSixty patients of hemiplegia caused by acute cerebral infarction were randomly divided into two groups, observing group and control group(30 patients for eaeh group).Patients in the observing group received family members' intervention in addition to the regular drug and rehabilitation treatment,which was used in control group only.The change of scores of Fugl-Meyer Assessment(FMA) and Modified Barthel Index(MBI) before and after treatment was evaluated respectively.ResultsThe scores of FMA and MBI in both groups rose very significantly eight weeks after treatment(P<0.001). But the scores of the obersevertion group were higher than that of the control group(P<0.05).ConclusionProper intervention by the family members plays an important role in enhancing the rehabilitation of acute cerebral infarction dysfunction and developing the patiennts' ability to take care of themselves in daily life.

Objective Through studying the apoptosis induced by stichopus japonicus acid mucopoly saccharide in the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 in vitro, analysing the expression of Bcl-2 and nm-23in HepG2, to provide the theory foundation and its feasibility on whether it can be used for the chemotherapy of hepetocellular carcinoma. Methods The cells of HepG2 were cultured in vitro and treated with SJAMP at different doses(0.25,0. 5,1.0,2.0,4.0 g/L). MTT was used to observe the inhibitory effects of SJAMP on cell growth, Western blotting was used to detect apoptosis, and the apoptosis related change of expression of protein Bcl-2 and nm23-H1. Results (1) MTT identified that SJAMP produced an obvious time-and-dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the HlepG2 cells. (2) Western blot showed that SJAMP could induce the apoptosis of HepG2 cells through changing the expression of the protein of Bcl-2 and nn23-H1 (P<0.05). Conclusion (1)SJAMP produced obvious inhibitory effects on HepG2 cells and induce HepG2 apoptosis. (2)SJAMP can enduce the anti-tumor function in the method of changing the expression of protein Bcl-2 and nm23-H1.

The principle and characteristics of I2C BUS are introduced as well as its application in multi physiological parameters measurement system.The hardware and software design of I2C BUS of multi physiological parameters measurement system are discussed.The system achieves the purpose of the design and the technology of I2C BUS meets the requirement in multi physiological parameters measurement system,including the acquisition of low frequency physiological parameters.I2C BUS predigests the design of hardware and software,thus reducing the cost of system.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2008,29(2):91-93]

To investigate the effects of metallothionein (MT) on isolated rat heart, 16 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 2 groups. In control group (group C), distilled water was injected intraperitoneally and 24 h later isolated hearts were perfused with Langendorff and stored at 4 degrees C for 3 h with histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) solutions, and then isolated hearts were perfused for 2 h by Langendorff. In experimental group (group E), 3.6% ZnSO(4) was injected intraperitoneally, 24 h later isolated hearts were perfused by Langendorff and stored at 4 degrees C for 3 h with HTK solutions, and then the isolated hearts were perfused for 2 h with Langendorff. MT content, the recovery of hemodynamics, myocardial water content (MWC), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) leakage, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, myocardial cell Ca(2+) content, Ca(2+)-ATPase activity of mitochondria ([Ca(2+)-ATPase](m)) and its Ca(2+) content ([Ca(2+)](m)), synthesizing ATP activity of mitochondria ([ATP](m)), and the ultrastructure of cells were examined. There were a significant increase in group E in hemodynamic recovery, ATP content, SOD activity, [Ca(2+)-ATPase](m) activity, [ATP](m) activity, and substantial reduction in MWC, LDH and CK leakage, MDA content, myocardial cell Ca(2+) content, [Ca(2+)](m) content, and the ultrastructural injury were obviously milder than that of group C. This study demonstrated that MT has protective effects on isolated rat heart.
Cardiotonic Agents/*pharmacology ; Creatine Kinase/*metabolism ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/metabolism ; Metallothionein/biosynthesis ; Metallothionein/*pharmacology ; Myocardium/*metabolism ; Myocardium/ultrastructure ; Random Allocation ; Rats, Wistar ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism ; Zinc Sulfate/pharmacology

Autonomic nervous system activation can result in significant changes of atrial electrophysiology and facilitate induction of atrial fibrillation. By recording influence of different concentrations of acetylcholine (ACh) on atrial fibers (AF), we investigated the role of the increased vagal tone in electrical remodeling in atrial fibrillation. Parameters of action potentials and force contraction (Fc) in atrial fibers were recorded by using standard intracellular microelectrode technique and force transducer. It was found that: (1) ACh at 0.1 μmol/L had no significant influence on spontaneous action potentials (SAPs) and Fc (n=6, P>0.05); ACh at both 1.0 and 10.0 μmol/L shortened action potential duration (APD) and Fc of human AF from right atrium (n=6, P<0.05); there was no significant difference in shortening APD between 10.0 and 1.0 μmol/L of ACh; (2) ACh at 0.1 μmol/L had no significant desensitization (n=6, P>0.05), but ACh at 1.0 and 10.0 μmol/L had desensitization (n=6, P<0.05) to SAPs and Fc. The desensitization of ACh on APD in AF was concentration- and time-dependent. It was shown that APD was longer than the control along with extending time of continuous Tyrode's solution perfusion after desensitization. It is concluded that ACh changes the electrophysiological characteristics of human AF, indicating that increased vagal tone plays a role in the development of a vulnerable substrate for atrial electrical remodeling in atrial fibrillation.

Objective The aim of this study is to explore the reasons and the main affecting factors of the reported tuberculosis (TB) patients by internet-based reporting system who failed to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for diagnosing and treating in Yunnan Province, so as to provide scientific evidence for constituting reasonable countermeasures and measures to improve the rate of the reported TB patients coming to CDC for diagnosing and treating. Methods Randomly sampled 730 tuberculosis patients by cluster sampling, surveyed by the questionnaires and logistic regression was used for data analysis. Results The main influencing factors were migrant, having no referring form of doctors, having no advice of doctors to CDC,having no financial problem, unbelieving TB harm to health, unknowing free treating policy of TB,untrusting CDC,unbelieving free medicine, hospitalization and unknowing the CDC address,with odds ratios of 3.234,0.438,0.065,0.056,0.117,0.153,0.336, 6.587,9.685 and 1.991, respectively .Conclusion To improve the rate of coming to CDC for diagnosing and treating, should take some integrated measures as follows: strengthening TB health promotion, strengthening referring program, strengthening communication between doctors and patients, and strengthening propaganda on CDC.

Objective To investigate the factors associated with awareness of dyslipidemia among residents in Beijing.Methods Cross-sectional data of 3 373 patients with dyslipidemia from CCEIP were analyzed.The patients were seleted from 10 054 residents from Daxing,Chaoyang,Haidian,and Xicheng Districts of Beijing during June-August,2007.The socioeconomic status and awareness of dyslipidemia were surveyed by questionnaires.The risk factors for cardiovascular diseases(CVDs),such as hypertension,obesity and diabetes,were assessed by physical examination and fasting blood analysis.Results (1)Awareness of dyslipidemia was improved with the increase of patients' age (P

Autonomic nervous system activation can result in significant changes of atrial electrophysiology and facilitate induction of atrial fibrillation.By recording influence of different concentrations of acetylcholine (ACh) on atrial fibers (AF),we investigated the role of the increased vagal tone in electrical remodeling in atrial fibrillation.Parameters of action potentials and force contraction (Fc) in atrial fibers were recorded by using standard intracellular microelectrode technique and force transducer.It was found that:(1) ACh at 0.1 μmol/L had no significant influence on spontaneous action potentials (SAPs) and Fc (n=6,P＞0.05); ACh at both 1.0 and 10.0 μmol/L shortened action potential duration (APD) and Fc of human AF from right atrium (n=6,P＜0.05); there was no significant difference in shortening APD between 10.0 and 1.0 μmol/L of ACh; (2) ACh at 0.1 μmol/L had no significant desensitization (n=6,P＞0.05),but ACh at 1.0 and 10.0 μmol/L had desensitization (n=6,P＜0.05) to SAPs and Fc.The desensitization of ACh on APD in AF was concentration- and time-dependent.It was shown that APD was longer than the control along with extending time of continuous Tyrode's solution perfusion after desensitization.It is concluded that ACh changes the electrophysiological characteristics of human AF,indicating that increased vagal tone plays a role in the development of a vulnerable substrate for atrial electrical remodeling in atrial fibrillation.