Objective To quantitatively evaluate the left ventricular systolic synchrony in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE). Methods Thirty patients with CRF and twenty-five normal subjects were enrolled in this study.The M-mode ejection fraction (M-EF), left ventricular end diastolic internal diameter (LVIDd), interventricular septum diameter (IVSd), left ventricular posterior wall diameter (LVPWd) were obtained on two-dimension. The global and regional volume-time curves were obtained on three -dimensional. The end diastolic volume (LVEDV),end systolic volume (LVESV) and ejection fraction (LVEF) of left ventricule, the time to minimal systolic volume (Tmsv) of 16,12,6-segmental standard deviation (Tmsv16, 12, 6-SD), maximal difference (Tmsv16, 12, 6-Dif) were derived from Qlab software . The above parameters as a percentage of the cardiac cycle with different heart rates between patients were also calculated from the Qlab software, which were Tmsv16, 12, 6-SD% and Tmsv16, 12, 6-Dif %, rspectively. Results The indices of HR, LVIDd, IVSd, LVPWd and LVESV were significantly higher while LVEF was significantly lower in the CRF group than those of the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01); The indices of systolic asynchrony of Tmsv16,12-SD%, Tmsv16,12-Dif, Tmsv16 ,12 ,6-SD/R-R%,Tmsv16,12,6-Dif/R-R% were significantly larger in the CRF group than those of the control group(P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions RT-3DE provides a simple, intuitional and noninvasive approach to assess the systolic synchrony of all the LV segments simultaneously and LVEF in patients with chronic renal failure.

Objective To analyze the influencing factors of having clinical meaningful recanalization (CMR)after revascularization therapy in acute phase of ischemic stroke. Methods A total of 267 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke admitted to the Department of Neurology,Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University and received intravenous thrombolysis or endovascular intervention in acute stage from March 2011 and March 2015 were enrolled retrospectively. CMR was used as a primary endpoint event. They were divided into either a CMR group (n = 92)or a non-CMR group (n = 175)according to whether they had CMR. The baseline data of the patients in both groups were compared by using the Rank sum test and Pearson Chi-Square test. A multivariate logistic regression model was established to analyze the independent influencing factor of CMR. Results The median (interquartile range)age of 267 patents was 60 (51 -69)years,and 69 of them were females (25. 8%);the median (interquartile range)time from onset to treatment was 250 (195 -305)min,and the median (interquartile range)NIHSS score was 10 (6 -15). The baseline NIHSS score,body mass index,blood glucose level,and proportion of diabetes of the CMR group were significantly lower than those of the non-CMR group (all P≤0. 05). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the baseline NIHSS (OR,0. 93,95% CI 0. 88 -0. 98;P = 0. 01),intravenous thrombolysis (with respect to endovascular intervention)(OR,0. 35, 95% CI 0. 17 -0. 73;P = 0. 01),and baseline blood glucose (OR,0. 87;95% CI 0. 77 -0. 98;P =0. 02)were the independent negative predictors of CMR. Conclusion The baseline NIHSS,intravenous thrombolysis (with respect to endovascular intervention),and high blood glucose are the negative influencing factors for achieving CMR in the acute phase of ischemic stroke,suggesting blood sugar intervention and endovascular intervention in acute phase may contribute to the improvement of clinical prognosis.

Objective • To construct a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) mouse model by the combination of Western diet (WD) and low-dose carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), and explore the time nodes of typical NASH pathological changes. Methods • Male 8-week C57BL/6 mice were fed WD and intraperitoneally injected with CCl4 at a dose of 2 μL/g of body weight per week to construct NASH models. At different time points, the fasting blood glucose, and the levels of triacylglyceride, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase were tested; glucose tolerance was tested at the 24th week. Besides, the liver index was calculated and oil red O staining, Sirius red staining, hematoxylin-eosin staining and TUNEL test were conducted to evaluate liver pathological changes after liver sampling. Results • Between the control group and model group, there was no significant difference in fasting blood glucose and glucose tolerance test result, while the significant differences of liver index were observed at the 8th, 12th and 24th week (P<0.05). And at the 24th week, the levels of triacylglyceride, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase were higher in the model group than those in the control group (P<0.05). According to the results of oil red O staining, Sirius red staining, hematoxylin-eosin staining and TUNEL test, in the model group, a large amount of small lipid droplets accumulation in the liver tissues was detected and hepatocytes were mainly in apoptotic state at the 8th week; large lipid droplets, hepatocellular ballooning and spot-like necrosis were observed, and hepatocyte apoptosis persisted at the 16th week; stage 3 fibrosis of liver was observed, and the number of spot-like necrosis increased but lipid droplets decreased, while hepatocytes were mainly in a proliferative state at the 24th week. Conclusion • The mouse model of NASH can be established successfully by WD combined with low-dose CCl4, which can simulate the pathologic features of NASH in a short time.

OBJECTIVETo investigate effect of Epimedium flavonoids (EF), positively controlled by caloric restriction (CR) method, in retarding aging of the model organism C. elegans, in order to establish a basis for studying its action mechanism.

METHODSExperiment for life-time analysis was conducted on animals grouped into the blank group, the CR group, and the high and low dose EF groups to observe their mean lifespan, maximum lifespan and age-dependent mortality. And the reproductive capacity test and acute heat-stress analysis were carried out in the blank group and the high dose EF group to observe the subalgebra and the mean survival time under acute heat-stress at 35 degrees C.

RESULTSAs compared with the blank group, the mean lifespan in the two EF group and the maximum lifespan in the high dose EF group were higher, and the age-dependent mortality in the high dose EF group was lower significantly (P<0.05 or P<0.01); as compared with the CR group, the mean lifespan and maximum lifespan in the high dose EF group were higher (P<0.01); but no significant difference of the subalgebra between the blank group and the high dose EF group was shown (P>0.05). Compared with the blank group, the mean lifespan in the high dose EF group was significantly prolonged under acute heat-stress at 35 degrees C (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONEF can retard the aging of C. elegans without damage on the reproductive capacity, and significantly improve its capacity against acute heat-stress.

Aging ; drug effects ; physiology ; Animals ; Caenorhabditis elegans ; drug effects ; physiology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Female ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Hot Temperature ; adverse effects ; Longevity ; drug effects ; physiology ; Male ; Reproduction ; drug effects ; Stress, Physiological ; drug effects

OBJECTIVESome research has shown that ambroxol can alleviate lung injury induced by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). However, whether ambroxol has protective effects against CPB-induced renal injury remains unknown. This study investigated the effect of ambroxol on renal function in children undergoing CPB.

METHODSForty children at ages of 3-8 years with cardiac function class I or II and weighing 12-25 kg, underwent repair of ventricular septal defect (VSD) under CPB. They were randomly divided into two groups (n=20 each):control and ambroxol-treated. The children in the ambroxol-treated group received ambroxol of 4.5 mg/kg in 10 mL normal saline by intravenous injection after skin incision. The control group received 10 mL of normal saline instead. Serum concentrations of urea nitrogen (BUN), beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)-MG) and creatinine (Cr) and urinary beta(2)-MG, retinol-binding-protein (RBP) and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) were measured before operation, and 2, 12, 24 and 48 hrs after operation.

RESULTSSerum Cr and urinary beta(2)-MG concentrations 2 hrs after operation, serum beta(2)-MG concentration 2 and 12 hrs after operation, urinary RBP concentration 2, 12, 24 and 48 hrs after operation, and urinary NAG concentration 2, 12 and 24 hrs after operation in the control and the ambroxol-treated groups increased significantly as compared with their baseline values (before operation) (P<0.05). Serum Cr concentration 2 hrs after operation, serum beta(2)-MG and urinary beta(2)-MG concentrations 2 and 12 hrs after operation, urinary RBP concentration 2, 12, 24 and 48 hrs after operation, and urinary NAG concentration 12 and 24 hrs after operation in the ambroxol-treated group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAmbroxol administration before CPB is effective in reducing CPB-induced renal injury in children undergoing repair of VSD. Further research is required to understand the mechanism.

Ambroxol ; pharmacology ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; adverse effects ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; surgery ; Humans ; Kidney ; drug effects ; physiology ; Male ; beta 2-Microglobulin ; blood ; urine

BACKGROUNDThis is a prospective clinical study based on a large sample gathered from multiple centers in China, subordinating to 10th Five-Year Plan of National Science & Technology Progression. We analyzed the high-risk factors inducing hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) and estimated the potential effect of anti-oxidants administration, including vitamin C (VC), vitamin E (VE) and Salvia Miltiorrhiza L (SML), a Chinese herb medicine, in amelioration of the high-risk factors in pregnancy.

METHODSFrom April 2005 to July 2006, 4814 pregnant women from 24 national wide cooperative hospitals were involved in this prospective research. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: 1607 cases were in anti-oxidants group with administration of vitamins and SML; 3207 cases were in control group without any medicine given. Every participant was under monitoring for the morbidity of HDP and the high-risk factors were investigated in HDP cases in each group.

RESULTS(1) The morbidity of HDP was 3.55% in anti-oxidants group vs. 4.18% in control group. No statistical difference existed between the two groups (P > 0.05). (2) In anti-oxidants group, the HDP morbidities among three subgroups: VC + VE + SML, VC + VE and SML only, were 5.51%, 3.05% and 5% respectively. It showed no statistical difference among three remedies (P > 0.05). (3) The related index of factors affecting HDP showed in intensity sequence as follows: family HDP history > profession > education level > age > body weight. The incidence of HDP in normal population was 3.51%, and the incidence of HDP in high-risk pregnant women (family HDP history, heavy physical labor, low education level (middle school and below), age ≥ 40, body mass index ≥ 24) was 5.84%, which was obviously higher than that in normal population (P < 0.01). In anti-oxidants group, the probability of HDP in women with high-risk factors was 3.81%, which was obviously lower than that in control group with high-risk factors at 7.14% (P < 0.01). (4) In control group, the morbidity of HDP in women with family HDP history (especially with sisters'), heavy physical labor, middle school and below, age ≥ 35 was: 50.00%, 15.22%, 6.33%, 26.28% and 5.75%, respectively, and that in anti-oxidants group was 0, 7.69%, 3.74%, 9.27% and 2.67%, respectively, which was obviously lower than that in control group.

CONCLUSIONSThe high-risk factors prone to induce HDP included: family history of HDP, heavy physical labor, low education level, aging and obesity. No impressive effect of anti-oxidants application was found in preventing HDP in general population but the remedy demonstrated positive effect on preventing HDP in pregnant women with high-risk factors.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Antioxidants ; therapeutic use ; Body Weight ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Logistic Models ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; drug therapy ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

Human Interleukin-11(hIL-11)has no Cys residue in its natural form.By site-directed mutagenesis,a Cys residue can be introduced to replace the 1st residue Gly and the rhIL-11 was chemically modified by using 20 kDa mPEG-maleimide conjugated to this site.The mPEG-hIL-11 conjugate was purified and showed a single band on SDS-PAGE with an apparent molecular weight.The biological activity of purified mPEG-hIL-11 was determined using a dependent cell line 7TD1.The remaining biological activity of PEGylated-rhIL-11 was 30% of native rhIL-11,suggesting chemical modification of rhIL-11 by PEG is a promising approach for improving the pharmacological efficacy.

BACKGROUNDPregnant women with heart disease are at high risk. Studies of risk factors of these patients are of great significance to improve maternal and fetal outcomes. In this paper, we try to discuss the main risk factors of cardiac events in pregnant women with heart disease and to establish a risk assessment system.

METHODSA retrospective analysis was carried out for pregnancies in 1741 women with heart disease who delivered in Shanghai Obstetrical Cardiology Intensive Care Center between January 1993 and September 2010. A Logistic regression model was used to identify independent risk factors of cardiac events and calculate the risk index in pregnant women with heart disease.

RESULTSThe composition of heart disease in pregnant women was arrhythmia (n = 662, 38.00%), congenital heart disease (CHD; n = 529, 30.40%), cardiomyopathy (n = 327, 18.80%), rheumatic heart disease (RHD; n = 151, 8.70%), and cardiopathy induced by pre-eclampsia (n = 53, 3.00%). Main cardiac events were heart failure (n = 110, 6.32%), symptomatic arrhythmia needing medication (n = 43, 2.47%), cardiac arrest (n = 2, 0.11%), syncope (n = 3, 0.17%), and maternal death (n = 10, 0.57%). Six independent risk factors to predict cardiac events in pregnant women with heart disease were cardiac events before pregnancy (heart failure, severe arrhythmia, cardiac shock, etc., P = 0.000), New York Heart Association (NYHA) class > II (P = 0.000), oxygen saturation < 90% (P = 0.018), pulmonary artery hypertention (PAH) > 50 mmHg (P = 0.025), cyanotic heart disease without surgical correction (P = 0.015), and reduced left ventricular systolic function (ejection fraction < 40%, P = 0.003). Every risk factor was calculated as 1 score. The incidence of cardiac events in patients with scores 0, 1, 2, 3, and ≥ 4 was 2.10%, 31.61%, 61.25%, 68.97%, and 100.00% respectively.

CONCLUSIONSPregnancy with heart disease could lead to undesirable pregnancy outcomes. The risk of cardiac events in pregnant women with heart disease could be assessed by risk index.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; epidemiology ; Cardiomyopathies ; epidemiology ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; epidemiology ; Heart Diseases ; epidemiology ; Heart Failure ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Pre-Eclampsia ; physiopathology ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo assess the HER-2 status in Chinese advanced gastric cancer patients and explore its correlation with clinical features, treatment response and prognosis.

METHODSA total of 107 patients with advanced gastric cancer treated in our hospital from December 2005 to November 2008 were included in this retrospective analysis. HER-2 status was determined by immunohistochemisty (IHC) and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The correlations of HER-2 status with tumor location, pathology, treatment response and prognosis were analyzed and the efficacy of different chemottherapy regimens was compared.

RESULTSThe overall positive rate of HER-2 expression was 14.7% (15/102). The HER-2 status was detected by both methods in 102 patients, and the concordance of the two methods was 66.5%. The tumor site distribution was gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) 28.0%, proximal stomach 19.4%, gastric corpus 16.1%, antrum 26.9% and whole stomach 9.7%, respectively. There was no significant difference of HER-2 status among different tumor sites (P = 0.726), and no significant correlation between HER-2 expression and differentiation (P = 0.110). Among the evaluable 51 patients treated by first-line chemotherapy, the total objective effective rate was 23.5%. The median time-to-progression was 7.47 months, and median overall survival time was 11.07 months. The effective rate was 43.8% in patients who received XP regimen chemotherapy (cisplatin + capecitabine), significantly higher than the 14.3% in patients treated with other regimens (P = 0.033). Their overall survival was 14.17 months and 9.53 months, respectively (P = 0.059). The TTP was 6.63 months in HER-2 positive patients and 7.47 months in HER-2 negative patients, with a non-significant difference (P = 0.510). However, there was a improving tendency in the efficacy and OS, showing a effective rate of 45.5% and 17.5% (P = 0.102) and OS of 14.17 months and 10.63 months, respectively (P = 0.205).

CONCLUSIONSHER-2-positivity rate in Chinese patients with advanced gastric cancer is similar to those reported in the literature. Along with the increasing use of targeted therapy and targeted agents, the efficacy and survival of gastric cancer patients is improving. HER-2-positive patients may benefit from it.

Adenocarcinoma ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Capecitabine ; Cisplatin ; administration & dosage ; Deoxycytidine ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; Disease Progression ; Esophagogastric Junction ; pathology ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; metabolism ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach ; pathology ; Stomach Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Survival Rate

With the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome(MetS), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) instead of chronic hepatitis B has been the most common cause of chronic liver disease in China. In order to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD, the Fatty Liver Expert Committee of Chinese Medical Association issued “The guideline of prevention and treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease” in March 2018, which was similar to the latest NAFLD Guidelines published by the AASLD, EASL and Asia-Pacific working party in the recent two years, but was different in details owing to the distinct condition of different countries. The purpose of the article is to help clinicians understand the guidelines more comprehensively and profoundly and guide their clinical work according to the interpretation of Chinese and overseas NAFLD guidelines.