Adolescent ; Adult ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; complications ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Salvia miltiorrhiza

Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; metabolism ; Face ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mycobacterium avium Complex ; isolation & purification ; Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection ; metabolism ; microbiology ; pathology ; Nasal Cavity ; microbiology ; Nose Diseases ; metabolism ; microbiology ; pathology ; Vimentin ; metabolism

Regional Medical Information System has been the objective of the construction of medical informatization. With HL7 and DICOM applied, this paper presents a tele-medical information-sharing platform based on PACS and HIS. Then the general scheme is put forward from such aspects as medical image storing center, copy import system for medical image data, tele-consultation center, disparate data source middle-ware transponder based on HL7 and clinical rounds system based on NC wireless network.

Objective To observe the changes of brain neurotransmitters in patients with vasovagal syncope (VVS) with encephalofluc-tuogram technology (ET). Methods From August, 2015 to December, 2016, 30 patients with VVS were selected as case group, 30 controls matched with sex and age were selected from the outpatients without syncope. They were detected the function of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (Glu), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), acetylcholine (Ach), norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) with ET. Results There was no significant difference between the two groups in the values of GABA, Glu, 5-HT, Ach and DA (t<1.680, P>0.05), while the values of NE was higher in the case group than in the control group (t=-3.552, P<0.001). Conclusion VVS may be related to the high level of activity of NE in the brain.

Objective To investigate the effects of activator protein-1(AP-1)decoy oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs)on the myocardial fibrosis induced by angiotension Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ)in vitro.Methods CFs of neonatal Spra- gue-Dawley(SD)rats were isolated by trypsin digestion method.CFs were co-cultured with 10~(-7)mol/L Ang Ⅱ in the presence of different concentration of activator protein-1(AP-1)decoy ODNs or mutational AP-1 decoy ODNs for 24 h.Collagen synthesis was assessed by hydroxyproline and the mRNA expression of collagen Ⅰ,collagen Ⅲ.Results The concentration of hydroxyproline increased significantly after treated by 10~(-7)mol/L Ang Ⅱ;decoy ODNs on the range of 10-200 nmol/L dose dependently decrease synthesis of collagen;Ang Ⅱ stimulates mRNA expression of collagen Ⅲ(1.04?0.07 vs 1.63?0.071,n=3,P

BACKGROUNDVascular smooth muscle cell proliferation is an important process in the development of atherosclerosis and is associated with other cellular processes in atherogenesis. Telmisartan is reported to have partial peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ activating properties and has been referred to as selective PPAR modulators, but valsartan just blocks angiotensin II (AngII) type 1 (AT1) receptors. This study aimed to compare the different effects of telmisartan and valsartan on human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) proliferation.

METHODSAbility of telmisartan and valsartan to inhibit proliferation of HASMCs was evaluated by the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) in continuous cell culture. Whether the antiproliferative effects of telmisartan and valsartan depend on their effects on AngII receptors or activating the peroxisome PPAR-γ was also investigated in this study.

RESULTSTelmisartan inhibited proliferation of HASMCs by 52.4% (P < 0.01) at the concentration of 25 µmol/L and the effect depended on the dose of telmisartan, but valsartan had little effect on HASMCs proliferation (P > 0.05) and no dose response. When tested in cells stimulated with AngII, telmisartan had the same inhibition of HASMCs by 59.2% (P < 0.05) and valsartan also inhibited it by 41.6% (P < 0.05). Telmisartan and valsartan had the same effect on down-regulating AT1 receptor expression and telmisartan was superior to valsartan up-regulating AngII type 2 (AT2) receptor expression. Antiproliferative effects of telmisartan were observed when HASMCs were treated with the PPAR-γ antagonist GW9662 but antiproliferative effects of the PPAR-γ activator pioglitazone were not observed.

CONCLUSIONSTelmisartan, but not valsartan, inhibits HASMCs proliferation and has dose-dependent response without stimulation of AngII. AT2 receptor up-regulation of telmisartan contributes to its greater antiproliferative effects than valsartan. Its PPAR-γ activation does not play a critical role in inhibiting HASMCs proliferation.

Benzimidazoles ; pharmacology ; Benzoates ; pharmacology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; cytology ; drug effects ; PPAR gamma ; metabolism ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 ; metabolism ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2 ; metabolism ; Tetrazoles ; pharmacology ; Valine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Valsartan

OBJECTIVEFunctional defects in NK cells have been proposed to be responsible for the impairment of anti-tumor immune responses. However, it remained unclear whether the function of NK cells were impaired in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. To address this issue, we analyzed the frequency and function of peripheral NK cell subsets in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

METHODS35 HCC patients and 24 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in the study. Peripheral NK frequency was analyzed using flow cytometry. In addition, the capacity of NK cells to produce IFN gamma and to lyse K562 cells was evaluated.

RESULTSIn contrast with the healthy controls, the frequency of peripheral NK cells in hepatocellular carcinoma patients was decreased (12.19%+/-10.85% vs 24.01%+/-8.78%, u = 4.01, probability value less than 0.01), while the frequency of CD56(bright)CD16(neg) NK cells was increased (0.62%+/-0.39% vs 0.48%+/-0.28%, u = 1.96, probability value less than 0.05), and the frequency of CD56(dim)CD16(pos) NK cells was significantly decreased (11.59%+/-7.49% vs 22.66%+/-8.84%, u = 3.92, probability value less than 0.01). In addition, peripheral NK cells from HCC patients exhibited decreased capacity to produce IFN gamma (effective cells 13.31%) and to lyse K562 cells (mixed ratio 30:1, 10:1, 1:1, effective cells 16.72%+/-7.33% vs 26.29%+/-12.36%, u = 2.52, P less than 0.05, 8.01%+/-4.40% vs 13.09%+/-5.03%, u = 3.32, probability value less than 0.05, 3.51%+/-2.82% vs 3.42%+/-1.64%, u = 1.56, probability value more than 0.05, respectively) as compared with healthy subjects.

CONCLUSIONAnti-tumor activity of NK cells in HCC patients was impaired.

Adult ; CD56 Antigen ; immunology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; immunology ; Case-Control Studies ; Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic ; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; metabolism ; K562 Cells ; Killer Cells, Natural ; immunology ; Liver Neoplasms ; immunology ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptors, IgG ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo explore the application of caffeine-halothane contracture test (CHCT) in the confirmation of malignant hyperthermia (MH).

METHODSOne patient who underwent radical gastrectomy presented with clinical manifestations of MH during routine intravenous-inhalation anesthesia process. Isoflurane inhalation and the operation were ceased immediately and emergency management approaches such as physical cooling therapy were taken. Meanwhile, the levels of serum creatine kinase (CK), serum myoglobin, and urinary myoglobin were examined and rectus abdominis was taken and then CHCT was performed to confirm the clinical diagnosis. Total genome was extracted from the patient and then exons 2-18, 39-46, and 90-104 of ryanodine receptor 1 (RYR1) gene were screened to detect mutations using DNA sequencing technique.

RESULTSThe patient was diagnosed as MH episode by clinical characteristics and postoperatively continuous elevation of the levels of CK, serum myoglobin, and urinary myoglobin (30 times higher than normal level). Despite halothane test was negative, the diagnosis of MH was verified by the positive result of caffeine test. DNA sequencing of RYR1 gene of the patient revealed c. 6724C > T (p. T 2 206M).

CONCLUSIONCHCT can be used to confirm the diagnosis of MH.

Anesthetics, Inhalation ; therapeutic use ; Caffeine ; Creatine Kinase ; blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Halothane ; Humans ; Isoflurane ; therapeutic use ; Malignant Hyperthermia ; blood ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Muscle, Skeletal ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Myoglobin ; blood ; Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel ; genetics

BACKGROUNDMalignant hyperthermia (MH), manifesting as MH crisis during and/or after general anesthesia, is a potentially fatal disorder in response to volatile anesthetics and depolarizing muscle relaxants. Though typical features of MH episode can provide clues for clinical diagnosis, MH susceptibility is confirmed by in vitro caffeine-halothane contracture test (CHCT) in western countries. It is traditionally thought that MH has less incidence and fewer typical characteristics in Chinese population than their western counterparts because of the different genetic background. In this study, we investigated the clinical features of MH in Chinese cases and applied the clinical grading scale and CHCT for diagnosis of MH.

METHODSA cluster of three patients with MH, from January 2005 to December 2007, were included in the study. Common clinical presentations and the results of some lab examinations were reported in detail. The method of the clinical grading scale of diagnosis of MH was applied to estimate the qualitative likelihood of MH and predict MH susceptibility. Muscle fibers of femoral quadriceps of the patients were collected and CHCT was performed to confirm the diagnosis of MH.

RESULTSThe clinical grading scales of diagnosis of the disease for these cases were all ranked grade D6, suggesting almost diagnosed ones. And the results of caffeine test were positive correspondingly, indicating that the patients should be diagnosed as MH susceptibility (MHS) according to diagnostic criteria of the North America MH group, which were already confirmed by clinical presentations and biochemical results.

CONCLUSIONSThese Chinese cases manifest as MH crisis. The clinical grading scale of diagnosis of MH may provide clues for clinical diagnosis. CHCT can also be used in confirming diagnosis of MH in Chinese cases though they have different genetic background from their western counterparts.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Caffeine ; Child ; China ; Female ; Halothane ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Malignant Hyperthermia ; diagnosis ; Muscle Contraction ; drug effects ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: investigate and compare the effect of valsartan and indapamide on inflammatory cytokines in hypertension. METHODS: Forty-one untreated patients with mild to moderate hypertension and 20 age and sex-matched normotensives were enrolled in this study. Hypertensives were treated with indapamide 1.5 mg/d (n=20) or valsartan 80 mg/d (n=21) for 4 weeks, and blood samples for determining monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 (MIP-1alpha), sP-selectin, asymmetric dimethylarginin (ADMA), angiotensin II (Ang II), and 6-keto-PGF1alpha were collected before the treatment and 4 weeks after the treatment. RESULTS: Hypertensives exhibited significantly higher blood pressure, as well as elevated plasma levels of MCP-1, MIP-1alpha, sP-selectin and serum level of ADMA compared with the normotensives. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in serum 6-keto-PGF1alpha and Ang II between the hypertensives and the normotensives. After the treatment with indapamide or valsartan for 4 weeks, both the systolic and diastolic blood pressures, though still higher than those of the normotensives, decreased markedly. After the treatment with indapamide for 4 weeks, MCP-1, MIP-1alpha and sP-selectin slightly decreased, but not statistically significant (P>0.05). Those cytokines decreased significantly after being treated with valsartan for 4 weeks [(19.16+/-3.11) pg/mL vs (16.08+/-2.67) pg/mL, P<0.05; (27.74+/-8.36) pg/mL vs (17.64+/-7.59) pg/mL, P<0.05; (2.67+/-3.18) pg/mL vs (6.15+/-2.94) pg/mL, P<0.01]. In the 2 treatment groups, 6-keto-PGF1alpha markedly increased [(61.96+/-20.81) pg/mL vs (96.72+/-25.89) pg/mL, P<0.05; (63.25+/-16.92) pg/mL vs (143.22+/-43.45) pg/mL, P<0.01]; ADMA decreased significantly [(1.35+/-0.74) pg/mL vs (0.98+/-0.56) micromol/L, P<0.05; (1.31+/-0.68) pg/mL vs (0.71+/-0.52) micromol/L, P<0.01]. Though Ang II slightly increased, no statistical significance was found (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The levels of MCP-1, MIP-1alpha, sP-selectin and ADMA were elevated in mild to moderate hypertensives. Valsartan and indapamide have similar blood pressure lowering effect. Valasartan exerts more significant effect on cytokines than indapamide does.
Adult ; Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers ; therapeutic use ; Antihypertensive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Chemokine CCL2 ; blood ; Chemokine CCL3 ; Chemokine CCL4 ; Cytokines ; blood ; Diuretics ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; blood ; drug therapy ; Indapamide ; therapeutic use ; Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; P-Selectin ; blood ; Tetrazoles ; therapeutic use ; Valine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Valsartan