Purines and pyrimidines have widespread and specific action in many tissues of both invertebrates and vertebrates. These compounds have powerful physiological roles in both short-term actions of neurotransmission, exocrine and endocrine secretion, and regulation of immune cell function, and long-term actions of cell growth, cell differentiation and proliferation in the development and regeneration.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of early high-loading-dose tirofiban on platelet activity for patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

METHODSA total of 120 acute STEMI patients were treated with 300 mg aspirin and 600 mg loading dose clopidogrel and randomized to high-dose tirofiban (25 µg/kg bolus followed by 0.15 µg×kg(-1)×min(-1) infusion for 36 hours, n = 40), standard-dose tirofiban (10 µg/kg bolus followed by 0.15 µg×kg(-1)×min(-1) infusion for 36 hours, n = 40) or control (no tirofiban, n = 40) before angiography. Inhibition of platelet aggregation (IPA) was assessed before angiography, at 10 min and 24 hours after tirofiban infusion, and at 12 and 24 hours after stopping tirofiban infusion by the thrombelastography assay.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference in baseline of IPA between the 3 groups (P > 0.05). IPA was significantly higher in high-dose tirofiban group compared with standard-dose tirofiban and no tirofiban group at 10 minutes after tirofiban infusion [(84.2 ± 12.0)% vs. (67.8 ± 26.8)% and (31.5 ± 21.9)%, all P < 0.01]. At 24 hours after tirofiban infusion, the IPA of high-dose and standard-dose tirofiban was similar [(93.0 ± 9.8)% vs. (88.5 ± 18.1)%, P > 0.05] and was significantly higher than no tirofiban group [(40.4 ± 22.8)%, all P < 0.01]. IPA was similar at 12 and 24 hours after stopping tirofiban use among the 3 groups (all P > 0.05). The maximum amplitude of high-dose tirofiban and standard-dose tirofiban groups at different time points was similar (all P > 0.05), and maximum amplitude in both tirofiban groups was significantly lower than in no tirofiban group at 10 min [(47.2 ± 7.6) mm and (50.0 ± 9.8) mm vs. (57.7 ± 6.5) mm, all P < 0.01] and at 24 hours after stopping tirofiban infusion [(54.6 ± 5.6) mm and (54.3 ± 9.0) mm vs. (59.6 ± 4.0) mm, all P < 0.01].

CONCLUSIONEarly use of high-loading-dose of tirofiban on top of 600 mg loading dose clopidogrel is more efficient on inhibiting platelet activity than standard dose of tirofiban in patients with acute STEMI undergoing primary primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Aged ; Blood Platelets ; Emergency Treatment ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Platelet Activation ; Platelet Aggregation ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Tyrosine ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use

Bile Duct Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; CA-19-9 Antigen ; blood ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; diagnosis ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnosis

A method for the determination of trace elements such as lead, arsenic and mercury in cream cosmetics by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) with suspension sampling was developed. The mixed solvents of water,tetrahydrofuran,methanol and were used to disperse paste, cream, and additives of triton X-100 to promote the test liquid uniform. The test suspension fluid were taken into the sample carrier,drying and then introduced into TXRF. Poly(1-vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) (P(VP-co-VAc)) was added to curing sediments,inhibiting proliferation. Triton X-100 and P(VP-co-VAc) were found to have the function of reducing mercury loss in the drying process. The loss of elements in the drying process and the effect of triton X-100 and P(VP-co-VAc) were investigated. The effect of cream matrix, element interference, spectral line and the inner standard were discussed. The calibration curves for quantitative analysis were established using matrix standards, so the error of software decomposition peak and the error caused by thick sample were avoided within a certain range. In this work,the linear correlation coefficients of Pb,As and Hg calibration curve were greater than 0.998 The detection limit of Pb,As and Hg in the solution were 0.005,0.004 and 0.006 μg/mL,respectively. Relative standard diviations(RSDs, n=11) of Pb, As and Hg were 7.8%-14.9%,6.6%-13.3% and 7.6%-14.6% respectively. The results of Pb, As, and Hg in cream cosmetics determinated by this method agreed with those obtained from inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and the value of standard reference material. The TXRF method was proved to be accurate,simple and valuable in determination of trace heavy metal ions in cosmetic samples.

To investigate the cause of death of a pregnant woman with undefined pneumonia reported from the People's Hospital of Tongling City in Anhui Province on November 8, 2005, the patient's tracheal aspirates and serum samples were collected and tested by RT-PCR and Real-time PCR to detect viral nucleic acids of HA of A/H5N1, A/H7N7, A/H9N1 and A/M. Tracheal aspirates were inoculated into special pathogen free (SPF) embryonated eggs for cultivation and identification of virus. The HA gene of the virus was sequenced and analyzed. Serum samples were tested by HI assay to detect antibody of H5N1. The results showed that HA gene of A/H5N1 virus and A/M were positive in tracheal aspirates by both PCR tests. The serum sample collected on Nov. 9 was A/M gene positive by Real-time PCR. The analysis of HA gene of A/AnHui/1/2005 sequence showed that the receptor specificity and the connecting peptide between HA1 and HA2 were still avian influenza origin. The HI antibody of H5N1 was negative at 7th, 8th, 9th d of disease onset. This undefined pneumonia case was confirmed as the first pregnant woman case of avian influenza (H5N1) virus infection by etiology in the mainland of China.
Adult ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests ; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus ; genetics ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Influenza, Human ; etiology ; virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ; etiology ; virology ; Trachea ; virology

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a rural adult population of Hunan province.

METHODS1953 residents (older than 18 years) from the same village were randomly selected, using a stratified, multistage sampling method. All residents were interviewed and tested for albuminuria with morning spot urine albumin to creatinine ratio (abnormal: >/= 30 mg/g), reduced renal function with estimated glomerular filtration rate by modified MDRD equation [abnormal: < 60 ml/min (1.73 m(2))]. The associations of kidney damage indicators with demographic characteristics (age, gender, smoking status), indicators on health (diabetes, hypertension) and metabolic syndrome traits were examined.

RESULTSEligible data of 1709 subjects were enrolled in the study. After the adjustment of age, gender and other metabolic syndrome traits, participants with metabolic syndrome had a higher prevalence of CKD (19.3% vs. 13.2%, P < 0.001) than those without the syndrome. As the number of metabolic syndrome traits increased, so did the prevalence of CKD. There seemed to be a strong and independent association between metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease. For participants without hypertension and diabetes, metabolic syndrome was also associated with CKD (OR value 1.733, 95%CI: 1.20 - 2.41, P = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONIn these 1709 adults under this study from a village of southern China, metabolic syndrome seemed to be associated with CKD.

Adult ; Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Diabetes Mellitus ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; epidemiology ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Rural Population

Cerebral ischemia can induce weak endogenous neurogenesis, which is not enough to repair neural injury after cerebral ischemia.In the treatment of cerebral ischemic diseases with Chinese medicine, different treatment methods based on syndrome differentiation are adopted according to the pathological mechanism of the diseases, and the advantages of neural repair after cerebral ischemia are well shown through comprehen-sive regulation.And in this paper, the effects of inflammation, neurovascular units, exogenous stem cell transplantation, exo- somes and other factors on neurogenesis and repair after cerebral ischemia and the intervention of Chinese medicine are described.

BACKGROUNDAcute minor ischemic stroke (AMIS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a common cerebrovascular event with a considerable high recurrence. Prior research demonstrated the effectiveness of regular long-term remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) in secondary stroke prevention in patients with intracranial stenosis. We hypothesized that RIC can serve as an effective adjunctive therapy to pharmacotherapy in preventing ischemic events in patients with AMIS/TIA. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy of daily RIC in inhibiting cerebrovascular/cardiovascular events after AMIS/TIA.

METHODSThis is a single-arm, open-label, multicenter Phase IIa futility study with a sample size of 165. Patients with AMIS/TIA receive RIC as an additional therapy to secondary stroke prevention regimen. RIC consists of five cycles of 5-min inflation (200 mmHg) and 5-min deflation of cuffs on bilateral upper limbs twice a day for 90 days. The antiplatelet strategy is based on individual physician's best practice: aspirin alone, clopidogrel alone, or combination of aspirin and clopidogrel. We will assess the recurrence rate of ischemic stroke/TIA within 3 months as the primary outcomes.

CONCLUSIONSThe data gathered from the study will be used to determine whether a further large-scale, multicenter randomized controlled Phase II trial is warranted in patients with AMIS/TIA.

TRIAL REGISTRATIONClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03004820; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03004820.

Itch is an unpleasant sensation that provokes the desire to scratch. While acute itch serves as a protective system to warn the body of external irritating agents, chronic itch is a debilitating but poorly-treated clinical disease leading to repetitive scratching and skin lesions. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of chronic itch remain mysterious. Here, we identified a cell type-dependent role of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in controlling chronic itch-related excessive scratching behaviors in mice. Moreover, we delineated a neural circuit originating from excitatory neurons of the ACC to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) that was critically involved in chronic itch. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the ACC→VTA circuit also selectively modulated histaminergic acute itch. Finally, the ACC neurons were shown to predominantly innervate the non-dopaminergic neurons of the VTA. Taken together, our findings uncover a cortex-midbrain circuit for chronic itch-evoked scratching behaviors and shed novel insights on therapeutic intervention.
Mice ; Animals ; Gyrus Cinguli/physiology* ; Pruritus/pathology* ; Mesencephalon ; Cerebral Cortex/pathology* ; Neurons/pathology*