Objective To assess hemodynamics of pulmonary arterial flow and to count the pulmonary artery diastolic pressure (PADP) by analysis using velocity study of main pulmonary with phase-contrast MR imaging. Methods The diameter、velocity and the maximal retrograde velocity of main pulmonary artery in 45 patients were measured with phase-contrast MR imaging and compared with cardiac catheterization. The accuracy and specificity of PADP measured with phase-contrast MR imaging were evaluated by relativity and regression analysis. Results The PADP measured with phase-contrast MR imaging was (4.82?1.24) mm Hg and that measured with right cardiac catheterization was (4.52?2.00) mm Hg in 40 patients with pulmonary regurgitation. With good correlation the correlation coefficient was 0.94(P

Objective To evaluate the value of imaging means on preoprative diagnosis for patients with malignant obstruction of the biliary and pancreatic ducts.[WT5”HZ]Method [WT5”BZ]44 cases underwent preoperative MR/MRCP/MRA examination. The accurate rate of diagnosis was compared with that derived from B us, CT and ERCP. Results 28 of 44 cases were diagnosed as with pancreatic and periampullary carcinoma, 5 cases as with pancreatic body and tail carcinoma,11 cases as with biliary duct carcinoma. The accurate rates of MR/MRCP/MRA for tumor locating and cause were 100% and 96% respectively. Blood vessel invasion, adjacent organ infiltration and matastasis were detected preoperatively in 17 cases. In contrast, the accurate rate for tumor locating and cause were 82% and 76% with CT, 73% and 68% with B us, 96% and 84% with ERCP. [WT5”HZ]Conclusions [WT5”BZ] MR/ MRCP /MRA combined has advantage over B us, CT and ERCP in preoperative diagnosis especially for detecting organ matastasis and blood vessel infiltration. It has an important value in the establishment of tumor staging and decision making of clinical therapy.

Objective To explore the therapy efficacy of gamma knife on pituitary adenoma based on the changes of MR imagings and hormone levels before and after gamma knife treatment .Methods MR imagings and hormone levels, clinical material were retrospectively analysed on 45 patients(altogether 59 times MR examinations)followed up from 1～28 months. Both plain and enhancement MR scans were performed on each MR examination. Results 59 cases were followed up for 1～28 months . The tumor size shranked in 31 cases (52.5%), no changs in 25 cases (42.4%), increased in 3 cases(5%). Of the 59 cases , intratumoral cyts were observed in 15 cases (25%). Functional pituitary adenomas were followed up in 23 cases. The hormone levels droped in 13 cases (56.5%), the number of hormone levels droped in about the sixth month after gamma knife treatment was 8.6% , in 1 year was 13% and in 2 years was 34.8%. Conclusion Gamma knife can effectively keep the pituitary adenomas from their growing up; avoid the overproduce of functional pituitary adenomas . The treatment effects of gamma knife can be enlarged with the time gone.

Objective: To observe influence of anxiety or depression on prethrombotic state in patients with essential hypertension (EH). Methods: A total of 112 EH patients were equally divided into EH + A/D group and pure EH group. Levels of prethrombotic state indicators, including serum CD62P, von Willebrand factor (vWF), tissue type plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 and endothelin (ET)-1 were measured in two groups. Results: Compared with pure EH group, there were significant increase in levels of CD62P [(4.52±2.01) % vs. (8.38±1.96) %], vWF [(155.28±23.11) % vs. (185.23±22.21) %], PAI-1 [(54.35±13.21) ng/L vs. (79.88±14.53) ng/L] and ET-1 [(121.56±33.32) ng/L vs. (152.78±30.23) ng/L], P<0.05 all; and significant decrease in t-PA level [(19.37±11.46) ng/L vs. (9.56±8.32) ng/L, P<0.05] in EH + A/D group. Conclusion: Anxiety or depression can aggravate prethrombotic state of patients with essential hypertension through activation of platelets, influencing vascular endothelial function and fibrinolytic system imbalance.

AIM: To observe the local expression of nuclear factor-?B(NF-?B) in spontaneously hypertensive rat(SHR) kidney and effects of AT1 receptor contagonist valsartan.METHODS: 16 SHRs were randomly divided into two groups: SHR control group and valsartan group.Another 8 WKY rats act as normal control group.Systolic blood pressure(SBP) of SHR was measured at the beginning and the end of 2,4,6 and 8 weeks of intervention treatment.Radioimmunoassay was used to determine the activities of rennin and angiotensin II(AngII).The renal tissue NF-?B protein expression was detected by immunobiochemistry.RESULTS: SBP of SHR was remarkably decreased after valsartan intervention.However,the rennin activities and AngII level in plasma increased in valsartan group.In the renal tissue of SHR,there was remarkably increased in expression of NF-?B protein.Valsartan could significantly reduced NF-?B expression.CONCLUSION: Valsartan can depress NF-?B renal expression in protein level and might benefit hypotension renal function.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of atorvastatin on large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel(BKCa,MaxiK) of arteria mesenterica minor smooth muscle cells in spontaneously hypertensive rats.METHODS: Twelve male spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR) aged 9 weeks were randomly divided into atorvastatin treatment group(ATV group,n=6) and distilled water group(DW group,n=6),and 6 Wistar-Kyoto rats were as normal control group(n=6).Atorvastatin and appropriate distilled water were administered to rats in ATV group(50 mg?kg-1?d-1) for 10 weeks by intragastric administration.The changes of abdominal aortic blood pressure were observed and the contents of TC,TG,LDL-C in serum were measured before and after treatment.The arterial mesenterica smooth muscle cell potassium current were recorded using whole cell patch clamp.The BKCa membrane capacitance and its current densitys were detected after the BKCa was blocked using tetraethylammonium.RESULTS: The abdominal aorta blood pressure in ATV group was much lower than that in DW group[(171?8) mm Hg vs(190?10) mm Hg,P

The MRI appearances of 7 adult patients with pathologically proven intracranial primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) were retrospectively analyzed. The MRI features were compared with findings in pathology and surgery. In this group, the tumor masses were most commonly found in the semisphere of cerebrum and in the vermis of cerebellum. They were relatively large and 4 were in lobulated shape. All of them had well-defined margins. MR images showed the tumors to be mildly or obviously hypointense on T1-weighted images and hyperintense on T2-weighted images. Most masses had heterogeneous appearances with some cystic and necrotic areas. Intratumoral haemorrhage and focal calcification were occasionally seen. Mostly, there was no or only mild surrounding edema. Marked inhomogeneous contrast enhancement on MRI was seen in 6 cases except one. Two patients with multiple intracranial metastases were revealed on MR images. In this series, there was good correlation between MRI features and findings in pathology and surgery. These results showed that certain MRI features might suggest the diagnosis of intracranial PNET in adults. MRI is an effective technique to detect these tumors and is helpful to treatment planning and follow-up.
Brain Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Brain Neoplasms/*pathology ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive/*diagnosis ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive/*pathology ; Retrospective Studies

In order to observe the feature of age-related marrow conversion and maturation of epiphyseal cartilage and analyze the distribution of red and yellow marrow in the proximal femur at STIR MR imaging, STIR and T(1) weighted MR imaging of the proximal femur in 52 subjects, aged 4 months to 25 years old, were retrospectively analyzed for the distribution and appearance of red and yellow marrow. The subjects with no known bone marrow abnormalities were divided into 6 age groups. The signal intensity of the marrow in the proximal epiphysis, proximal metaphysis, proximal diaphysis, distal diaphysis and greater trochanter was compared with the signal intensity and homogeneity of surrounding muscle and fat and graded by two observers. The results showed that the conversion of hematopoietic marrow in the proximal femur followed a well-defined sequence, occurring first in the proximal epiphysis, followed by the distal diaphysis, and then greater trochanter and metaphysis. STIR in combination with T(1)-weighted imaging could display clearly the origin of ossification center and the course of conversion from red to yellow marrow in proximal epiphysis and greater trochanter. STIR imaging showed that the marrow conversion in proximal metaphysic began below epiphyseal plate and intertrochanter. The site of red yellow was distributed in weight-bearing axis by 20 years of age. The marrow conversion of diaphysis was from distal end to proximal end, and the consequence of conversion was that distal diaphysis contained yellow marrow but proximal diaphysis partly red marrow connected with the red marrow of metaphysic. The epiphyseal cartilage had different characters of signal-intensity with age in STIR sequence. The distribution of red marrow in STIR imaging was more close to that of anatomy than T(1)-weighted imaging. It was concluded that STIR could dynamically display the feature of marrow conversion and the development of epiphyseal cartilage and accurately reveal the age-related distribution of red and yellow marrow on STIR imaging in the proximal femur.
Age Factors ; Bone Marrow/*anatomy & histology ; Bone Marrow/physiology ; Epiphyses/anatomy & histology ; Femur/*anatomy & histology ; Image Enhancement/*methods ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate collagen metabolism modulation of Intermedin 1-53 ( IMD1-53 ) on angiotensin Ⅱ( AngⅡ)-induced rat cardiac fibroblasts .Methods SD neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts were cultured and divided them into control group, AngⅡ +different concentrations IMD1-53 groups.ⅠandⅢcollagen expression in cardiac fibroblasts were measured by Westem blot , IMD1-53 receptor-like receptor ( calcitonin receptor-like receptor , CRLR) and transforming growth factor-β( TGF-β) mRNA expression were exammed by real-time PCR.Results IMD1-53 significantly inhibited AngⅡ-induced collagen synthesis in cardiac fibroblasts , and this effect was more ob-vious with the increase of IMD 1-53 ( P<0.01 ,P<0.05 ) .Similar phenomenon was recorded in TGF-βexpression in cardiac fibroblasts ( P<0.05 ) .Conclusions IMD1-53 inhibited collagen synthetic in cardiac fibrosis induced by AngⅡ, down-regulated TGF-βexpression.These may relate to IMD1-53 anti myocardial fibrosis.

Objective To investigate the MRI features of cardiac myxoma by correlated with its pathological findings. Methods MRI features of 22 cases of pathologically confirmed cardiac myxomas were retrospectively reviewed. Results Of 22 cases, 21 are solitary, 12 located in left atrium, 6 located in right atrium, 2 located in left ventricle and 1 located in right ventricle. The other one occupied multiple chambers. MRI: 19 are heterogeneous and 3 are homogeneous. Cine-MRI: 18 attach to the endocardium with a pedunculated stalk and 4 are sessile and with a broad attachment. Thirteen cases had secondary valve insufficience or stenosis. Nine have compromised cardiac function. Nineteen cases demonstrated mild to moderate heterogeneous enhancement after Gd-DTPA administration and 3 ease showed no enhancement. Four cases had gadolinium first-pass perfusion study and showed a slow and continuous increasing time-intensity, lower than normal myocardium. The pedicles and wall showed delay enhancement. Pathologic findings: 21 are oval and lobalar configuration, 1 is grape-like. Ten cases had fresh hemorrhage and 5 had chronic hemorrhage. Fourteen had necrosis , 2 had cystic change and 4 had calcification. Blood vessels or inflanmmtory cells could be detected in 19 cases. Conclusions MRI can evaluate the size, location, morphology, especially the vascularity, histologic features and cardiac function of cardiac myxomas.