OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of total flavonoids of propolis (TFP) on apoptosis of myocardial cells of chronic heart failure and its possible mechanism in rats.

METHODSSix male SD rats were randomly selected as normal control group, the remaining rats were made as chronic heart failure (CHF) model by intraperitoneal injection of adriamycin. The rats in the successful model were randomly divided into five groups (n = 6): CHF group, total flavonoids of propolis low dose group (LD group), total flavonoids of propolis middle dose group (MD group), total flavonoids of propolis high dose group (HD group), digoxin group (DIG group). After six week treatment, cardiac function indexes of rats were recorded by signal acquisition system; brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) content in plasma were detected; Myocardial morphological changes and collagen fiber hyperplasia by HE and Masson staining were observed; Myocardial apoptosis was detected with TUNEL method and protein connexin 43(P-Cx43) expression was detected by Western blot method.

RESULTSCompared with NC group, left ventricular systolic pressure(LVSP) and maximal rise/fall velocity of left ventriculad pressure (± dP/dt(max)) absolute value in CHF group were significantly lowered (P < 0.01) while left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was increased significantly (P < 0.01); Contents of plasma BNP, cTnI, TNF-α and IL-6 in the CHF group were significantly improved (P < 0.01). Compared with CHF group, LVSP, ± dP/dt(max) absolute value in MD and HD groups were increased (P < 0.05), and LVEDP was significantly lowered (P < 0.01); LVEDP in LD group was significantly lowered (P < 0.01), changes in LVSP and ± dp/dt(max) absolue value were not obvious (P > 0.05). BNP, cTnI, TNF-α and IL-6 contents in MD and HD groups were significantly reduced (P < 0.01), but those plasma indicator changes were not obvious in LD group (P > 0.05). Western blot showed that P-Cx43 expression in CHF group was significantly higher than that in NC group (P < 0.01) and that in all TFP treatment groups it was decreased compared with CHF group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), among which pairwise comparisons also showed differences (P < 0.05), myocardial apoptosis index (%)(22.62 ± 3.39) in CHF group was higher than that in NC group( 1.12 ± 0.24) (P < 0.01); compared with CHF group, the apoptosis index of myocardial cells (%) in LD,MD and HD groups, (15.79 + 2.8), (9.28 + 2.1) and (4.73 + 1.14) respectively, were significantly lower than those in the CHF group( P < 0.01). The expression level of P-Cx43 positively correlated with the apoptotic index (r = 0. 861, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONTotal flavonaids of propolis have inhibitory effect on apoptosis of myocardial cells of chronic heart failure induced by adriamycin in rats, and the mechanism may be closely related to the regulation of Cx43 expression, especially the regulatory phosphorylation status.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Chronic Disease ; Connexin 43 ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Doxorubicin ; adverse effects ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Heart Failure ; drug therapy ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; blood ; Phosphorylation ; Propolis ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Troponin I ; blood ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

Objective To explore the best serum-free cultural way in neural stem cells from the hippocampus of the newborn rats and observe the characteristics of growth,proliferation,and induced differentiation of neural stem cells.Methods The neonatal rats′ hippocampus tissues were dissociated mechanically.The cells were cultured in the serum-free cultural medium which were added separately basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF),epithelium growth factor(EGF),bFGF+EGF by suspended cultural way.The neural stem cells were identified by nestin immunofluorescence.After induced differentiation of embryonic cow serum,the differentiated cells were identified.Results The serum-free medium added bFGF and EGF could perfectly induce neural stem cells to proliferate and the differentiated cells expressed the specific antigen of neurons,astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.Conclusion The serum-free medium with bFGF and EGF can be used to culture neural stem cells from hippocampus tissue of rats in vitro.

Objective To summarize the experience on imaging diagnosis and surgical treatment for popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES). Methods From 2004 to 2010, 11 patients (12 limbs) diagnosed as PAES by CTA and MR ( A) underwent surgery. There were 11 patients with a mean age of (28 ±19) years, eight patients were male, three patients were female. Two patients were found to have bilateral involvement. Intermittent claudication was the most frequent presenting symptom. Six limbs were type Ⅰ , three limbs were type Ⅱ , three limbs were type Ⅲ , one limb was type Ⅳ. The preoperative mean ABI was 0.47 ± 0. 27. Results Popliteal artery exploration surgery or peripopliteal artery lysis was performed in 12 limbs, and this procedure was combined with a great saphenous vein bypass graft in seven limb because of arterial occlusion or aneurysm. After a median follow-up of ( 19 ± 20) months (0 month to 6 years) , the mean ABI improved to 0. 81 ±0. 30, which was significantly higher than that of preoperation( P ＜ 0.05),one patient died of pulmonary embolism one day after operation, one patient (one limb) had popliteal artery thrombosis after operation. Intermittent claudication symptoms disappeared in all other patients. Conclusions Timely imaging diagnosis and surgical intervention is very important for patients of PAES.

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Electromyography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nervous System Diseases ; chemically induced ; diagnosis ; Organophosphate Poisoning ; Pesticides ; poisoning

Objective To explore the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on motor function in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) using meta-analysis. Methods Eight comparative studies of the effects of TMS were meta-analyzed. Results The combined studies confirmed a significant difference before and after TMS treatment. Between the experimental and control groups the effect was also highly significant. Conclusion TMS may play an active role in the rehabilitation of motor function for patients with Parkinson's disease.

China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Pneumoconiosis ; epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To explore the pathogenic bacteria′s distribution and their drug resistance of urinary tract infection in children.Methods A total of 555 pathogen strains in urinary tract infection for children from inpatients and outpatients from Jan.2005 to Dec 2006 were identified and the drug resistance test was preformed.Results In the 555 strains of bacteria,80.7% were Gram-negative,17.7%were Gram-positive and 1.6%were fungi.Most of Gram-negative bacteria were E.coli,among 300 strains of identified Escherichia,69.3% of them(208 strains) produced extended speetrum ? lactamases(ESBLs);among 41 strains of identified Klebsiella pneumoniae,78.1% of them(32 strains) produced ESBLs.Most of Gram-positive bacteria were Enterococcus,there were 70 strains(12.6%),sensitivity rates of nitrofurantion and vancomycin were 100%.Conclusion Gram-negative is the main infection bacterium in urinary tract infection for children and the most of them are very serious drug resistant.The clinicians should pay more attentions to idstream urin bacteriology culture and choose the suitable antibiotic according to the results of antibiotic susceptibility tests.

The microbial populations and community structure characterization technologies of the enhanced biological phosphate removal system were reviewed comprehensively in this paper, and their future research directions were outlined.

Background Surgical induced astigmatism induced by a 5.5mm of superior scleral tunnel incision is a key cause of influencing vision outcome in the high myopic eyes after implantation of Artisan phakic intraocular lens(IOL).Objective This study was to evaluate the surgical induced astigmatism through a 5.5mm superior scleral tunnel incision during the implantation of Artisan phakic IOL.Methods This was a case observational study.The clinical data of 202 eyes of 111 patients with Artisan IOL implantation for high myopia from October 2004 through October 2008 was collected.The patients were followed-up for 12 months.The uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA),best spectacle-corrected visual acuity(BCVA),spherical equivalent(SE),cylinder equivalent(CE) and cylinder axis were examined before surgery and postoperative 1,3,6,12 months.The patients were divided into with rule group and against rule group according to the cylinder axis.Surgery-induced astigmatism value was calculated using Holladay vector analysis formula.This clinical trial was approved by the Ethics Committee of Guangdong General Hospital.Written informed consent was obtained from each patient prior to the surgery.Results The UCVA of 195 eyes(94.1%) was 0.5 or better in postoperative 12 months,and that of 172 eyes(85.1%) showed the improvement of BCVA during the follow-up duration.The mean CE values were reduced in 1,3,6,12 months after surgery in comparison with before surgery(t=-4.30,P=0.00;t=-2.27,P=0.01;t=-2.04,P=0.04;t=-2.79,P=0.01).Vector analysis of total surgically induced astigmatism revealed that the mean incision-induced astigmatism value was +1.94D,+2.26D,+2.29D,+2.25D at 171°,170°,181°,175° in 1,3,6,12 months after surgery.The surgery-induced astigmatism was(+1.97±1.84)D,(+2.25±1.75)D,(+2.27±1.76)D,(+2.24±1.75)D in with rule group at postoperative 1,3,6,12 months respectively;while those in against rule group was(+1.75±1.88)D,(+2.35±1.74)D,(+2.38±1.76)D,(+2.34±1.74)D respectively.No significant differences were found between the two groups(t=0.54,-0.29,-0.27,-0.29;P=0.59,0.78,0.79,0.78).Conclusion Implantation of Artisan IOL is an effective approach for correction of high myopia.A 5.5mm superior scleral tunnel incision in operation induces a +2.25D astigmatism at 175° meridian.

Objective To examine the neural basis of item memory and source memory with fMRI approach.Methods Eight male and eight female healthy fight-handed native Chinese speakers were involved in this study.The item memory and source memory task were conducted with 504 highly frequent Chinese double-character words in the Block-designed experiment.Participants underwent such a double- round procedure as fMRI scanning following study.The fMRI data collected from a GE 1.5T MRI system were analyzed to generate corresponding activation maps for females and males respectively(P20)using statistical parametric mapping software(SPM).Results For females,item memory task activated the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(BA6,the number of activated voxel clusters was 62 or 11 in the left and the right,respectively),source memory more activated the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(BA6/46,the number was 59).For males,item memory activated the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(BA6/46,the number was 64),source memory activated the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(BA6,9 and 40 in the left and the right).Conclusion On the neural basis of item or source memory,there exists dissociation,which is that right dorsolateral prefrontal areas are more activated by item memory while left dorsolateral prefrontal areas by source memory.For the difference of gender,it is suggested that left dorsolateral prefrontal areas(BA6/46)are more activated in females while right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(BA6/46)more in males.