Animals ; Arrestins ; metabolism ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; beta-Arrestins

·AIM: To improve our understanding of retinoschisis at the macular area.·METHODS: From January 2003 to January 2005, the patients whose macular retinoschisis was confirmed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) were included in the study. Their data and other results were further analyzed.·RESULTS: During that period, macular retinoschisis was found in 116 eyes which fit the including criteria. Among these, 94 eyes were pathological myopia; 17 were X-linked congenital retinoschisis; and 5 had excavation of optic disk.By analyzing the OCT figures, it was found that retinoschisis could happen at many locations within retinal neural epithelium, including inner, middle and outer part. The retinoschisis caused by different reasons differs in OCT results.·CONCLUSION: Retinoschisis at the macular area was not rare at the clinic, and the retinoschisis may be located at different parts of the retina. OCT was useful in the diagnosis and follow-up of macular retinoschisis.

Objective To explore the effects of exercise training(ET)on the functional recovery of nerves (NFR)in rats with intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH).Methods Ninety Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into an ET group,a control group and a sham operation group(SO group).An ICH model was established with colla- genase in the ET and control groups,while sodium chloride was used with the SO group.The ET group exercised for 40 min a day from 24 h to 30 d after the operation.Attitudinal reflexes,balance function and muscle strength were assessed at 24 h,3 d,7 d,14 d,21 d and 28 d after the operation.Results Compared with the control group, NFR values were increased significantly in the ET group,and there was no obvious dysfunction in the SO group. Conclusion Early ET can contribute to functional recovery after ICH.

OBJECTIVETo estimate the feasibility of 16-multidetector spiral computed tomography (16-MDCT) on detecting coronary plaques in comparison with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS).

METHODSSixty-eight patients suspected of coronary heart diseases were examined by 16-MDCT, quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and IVUS. Coronary stenosis was defined as lumen diameter reduction (DS) >or= 50%. Hounsfield units (HU) were used to determine different types of plaques: soft plaque (or= 120 HU).

RESULTSCompared to QCA, the sensitivity and the specificity for patients with DS >or= 50% were 91.8% (112/122) and 97.8% (556/568) respectively, the positive and negative predictive value were 90.3% (112/124) and 98.2% (556/566) respectively. In 96 plaques evaluated both by 16-MDCT and IVUS, 20 and 21 soft plaques, 37 and 36 fibrous plaques, 39 and 38 calcified plaques were identified by 16-MDCT and IVUS respectively. HU value of soft (11 +/- 36), fibrous (83 +/- 20), and calcified (292 +/- 80) plaques were significantly different (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSNoninvasive 16-MDCT could correctly estimate coronary stenosis and coronary plaques compositions.

Aged ; Atherosclerosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Coronary Angiography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; methods ; Ultrasonography, Interventional

AIM To observe the effects of Zuogui Pills and Yougui Pills on the proliferation of BMSCs and the expression of apoptosis after osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation in ovariectomized rats.METHODS Of sixty female SD rats,forty rats followed by bilateral ovariectomy were randomly divided into ovariectomy group (1.0 g/kg distilled water),Zuogui Pills group (9.45 g/kg Zuogui Pills) and Yougui Pills group (10.26 g/kg Yougui Pills) and Bujiale group (0.09 mg/kg estradiol valerate),another ten rats as control group (1.0 g/kg distilled water),ten rats bilateral excision of a small amount of fat around the ovary was treated as sham operation group (1.0 g/kg distilled water).After 12 weeks of administration,the rats were killed,BMSCs were cultured in vitro.Cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay.Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of Caspase-3 and Bcl-2.RE-SULTS MTT assay showed that the proliferation of BMSCs were promoted in Zuogui and Yougui Pills groups,and the proliferation effect in Zuogui Pills group was better than that in Yougui Pills group.After osteogenic differentiation,as compared with the control group,the Caspase-3 expression of ovariectomy group was up-regulated (P ＜0.05) and the expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated (P ＜0.01).As compared with ovariectomy group,the expression of Caspase-3 was decreased and the expression of Bcl-2 was up-regulated in Zuogui Pills group and Yougui Pills group.After adipogenic differentiation,as compared with the control group,the expressions of Caspase-3 were significantly up-regulated and Bcl-2 were down-regulated in the ovariectomy group,Zuogui Pills group and Yougui Pills group (P ＜ 0.05).After osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation Zuogui Pills group and Yougui Pills group were significant different (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION Zuogui Pills and Yougui Pills both can inhibit the apoptosis of BMSCs after osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation in ovariectomized rats.Zuogui Pills can promote BMSCs osteogenesis differentiation while Yougui Pills can promote adipogenic differentiation.

Although haze and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are different, they are not only both closely related to climate, but also take respiratory symptom as their main clinical manifestation when they play pathogenetic roles. Based on the comparative analysis of the pathogenic properties of haze and SARS, this article speculated the conditions and characteristics of the morbidity of "warm haze", a newly serious infectious disease which consists of haze combines abnormally warm climate that potentially occurs, as well as proposes related early warnings and measures in order to provide reference for TCM in preventing newly infectious diseases and inspire a new thinking of TCM in preventing diseases which consist of both climatic and environmental factors.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Shuanghuanglian injection on cerebral expression of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) in mice with viral encephalitis.

METHODSThe mice with experimental viral encephalitis received treatment with Shuanghuanglian injection at the dose of 0.2, 1.5, and 5 for 5, 10 or 20 consecutive days. The total RNA of the brain tissue was extracted to analyze the protein and mRNA expression of NF-kappaB using Western blotting and RT-PCR, respectively.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the mice with experimental viral encephalitis showed significantly increased protein and mRNA expressions of NF-kappaB (P<0.01). Treatment with Shuanghuanglian injection at the doses of 0.2 and 1.5 mg/kg significantly lowered NF-kappaB protein and mRNA expressions in the brain of mice with viral encephalitis (P<0.05), and the effect was even more obvious at the dose of 5 mg/kg (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONShuanghuanglian injection can reduce the expression of NF-kappaB in the brain of mice with viral encephalitis in a dose- and time-dependent manner.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Encephalitis, Viral ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Injections ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

This study was purposed to investigate the inhibition of hTERT antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ASODN) on the proliferation and telomerase activity in HL-60 cells and to explore the relativity between the telomerase activity and the expression of hTERT gene in HL-60 cells. After treated by hTERT ASODN the expression of hTERT was detected by RT-PCR, the morphological changes of HL-60 cells was observed with inverted microscopy, the cell proliferation was measured by MTT method, and the telomerase activity was determined with TRAP-ELISA and TRAP-PAGE. The results showed that after sealing hTERT gene with ASODN for 72 hours, the expression of hTERT gene was significantly inhibited, the cell growth was repressed and the ability of proliferation decreased, and the effect was specific in sequence and dependent in dose and time. OD(450-690) values were 2.648 +/- 0.42, 1.504 +/- 0.47, 1.223 +/- 0.39, 0.944 +/- 0.16 respectively, as the cells were treated with 0, 10, 20, 30 micromol/L ASODN for 72 hours. The difference was significant as compared 10, 20, 30 micromol/L groups with 0 micromol/L ASODN group respectively (P < 0.05), but the difference was no significant when compared 20 micromol/L SODN group (2.376 +/- 0.65) with untreated group (2.648 +/- 0.42) (P > 0.05). TRAP-PAGE detection revealed that comparing ASODN groups with SODN groups the telomerase image bands were decreased and least was found in groups of 30 +/- mol/L. It is concluded that the hTERT ASODN may inhibit the proliferation and down-regulate the telomerase activity in HL-60 cells by sealing the expression of hTERT gene.
Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Oligonucleotides, Antisense ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Telomerase ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo investigate the incidence and risk factors of prehypertension among adults in mainland China and identify the high-risk population.

METHODSSix databases including Chinese Biological Medical Literature Database (CBM), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database (WF), PubMed and Web of Knowledge were searched for publications documenting the incidence and risk factors of prehypertension among general population in Chinese adults. Eligible studies were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria for meta-analysis using Stata software and RevMan software.

RESULTSTwenty-one published studies were finally included. The results showed that the incidence of prehypertension was 37% in Chinese adults. The pooled SMD (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 0.37 (0.29-0.46) for body mass index, 0.20 (0.12-0.27) for fasting blood glucose (FPG), 0.17 (0.15-0.19) for total cholesterol (TC), 0.22 (0.17-0.27) for triglyceride (TG), 0.13 (0.10-0.15) for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and -0.07 (-0.16-0.02) for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). For smoking, drinking and family history of hypertension, the pooled OR (95% CI) were 1.44 (1.40-1.47), 1.60 (1.44-1.79), and 1.19 (1.04-1.35), respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe incidence of prehypertension among adults in mainland China is relatively high, especially in males. BMI, FBG, TC, TG, LDL-C, smoking, drinking and family history of hypertension are positively related to prehypertension, and early intervention is recommended to reverse these modifiable risk factors.

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Body Mass Index ; China ; epidemiology ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Male ; Prehypertension ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; Triglycerides

OBJECTIVETo assess the prevalence of pre-hypertension and hypertension as well as the association with overweight/obesity in Shanghai adolescents.

METHODSSchool children aged 11 - 17 years in four schools in Shanghai were included in this survey. All students were visited in May 2010 at school by trained nurses or physicians who administered a questionnaire and carried out anthropometric measurements. Anthropometric measurements included height, weight, heart rate and blood pressure. Repeat measurements were performed in school children with elevated blood pressure within one month. The pre-hypertension and hypertension was defined on the basis of the 2004 National High Blood Pressure Education Program Working Group definitions. The overweight and obesity was defined using cutoff points recommended by Working Group of Obesity, China (WGOC).

RESULTSThere were 4175 school children aged 11 - 17 years [mean (15.0 ± 1.9) years, 52.3% (n = 2183) girls and 47.7% (n = 1992) boys]. There were 72.5% (n = 3025) participants with normal blood pressure [ girls (n = 1666) 76.3% and boys (n = 1361) 68.3%], 18.0% (n = 750)participants with pre-hypertension [14.2% (n = 310) for girls and 22.1% (n = 440) for boys], 8.3% (n = 346) participants with stage 1 hypertension [8.2% (n = 179) for girls and 8.3% (n = 165) for boys] and 1.3% (n = 54) participants with stage 2 hypertension [1.3% (n = 28) for girls and 1.3% (n = 26) for boys]. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 6.7% (n = 147) and 3.0% (n = 66) for girls and 13.7% (n = 273) and 6.3% (n = 125) for boys. After adjusting for gender, age, parental history of hypertension and physical activities, multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the overweight [adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval: 1.42 (1.16 - 1.75)] and obesity [adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval: 2.35 (1.78 - 3.11)] were independent predictors of elevated blood pressure in this cohort.

CONCLUSIONSThe prevalence of elevated blood pressure is common in adolescents in Shanghai. Overweight and obesity are closely associated with the elevated blood pressure in this cohort.

Adolescent ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; epidemiology ; Male ; Obesity ; epidemiology ; Overweight ; epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors