Objective To investigate the correlations of plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and the subtypes and the severity of acute ischemic stroke.Methods Consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled in the study.They were divided into large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA),smallartery occlusion (SAO) and cardioembolism (CE) according to the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification.Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay was used to measure plasma BNP.OsiriX software was used to calculate the cerebral infarction volume of MRI.Results A total of 159 patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled.Compared to the CE group,there were significant differences in the proportions of hyperlipidemia,atrial fibrillation,BNP ＞ 100 ng/L,and in the levels of lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and BNP,as well as in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and the infarct volume in the groups of LAA and SAO (all P ＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that atrial fibrillation (odds ratio [OR] 148.638,95％ confidence interval [CI]17.532-1 260.182; P ＜ 0.001) and BNP ＞ 100 ng/L (OR 3.490,95％ CI 1.033-11.789; P =0.044)were the independent risk factors for CE ischemic stroke.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the optimal cutoff value for predicting plasma BNP level of the CE ischemic stroke was 101.4 ng/L,and its sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,and negative predictive values were 80.56％,76.42％,50.00％,and 93.07％,respectively.The optimal cutoff value was used as a boundary,the patients were divided into a BNP ≤ 101.4 ng/L group and a ＞ 101.4 ng/L group.The proportions of males (P=0.031),hyperlipidemia (P=0.002) and smoking (P =0.026),as well as the levels of total cholesterol (P=0.020),triglyceride (P=0.024) and LDL-C (P=0.013) were significantly lower than those in the BNP ≤ 101.4 ng/L group,while the proportions of patients with ischemic heart disease (P ＜0.001) and atrial fibrillation (P＜0.001),as well as the NIHSS score and the infarct volume were significantly higher and larger than those in the BNP ≤ 101.4 ng/L group.Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the plasma BNP levels were significantly negatively correlated with the triglycerides (r=-0.224,P=0.004) and LDL-C (r=-0.170,P=0.032) levels,and were significantly positive correlated with the NIHSS scores (P=0.167,P=0.044) and the infarct volume (P=0.281,P＜0.001).Conclusions Plasma BNP level can be used as a biological marker for early differentiating CE from non-CE ischemic stroke,as well as identifying the severity of stroke.

Objective To explore the clinical features,electroneurophysiology,neuroimaging and gene characteristics of one juvenile dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) pedigree with an onset of epilepsy.Methods The clinical data of the elder sister and younger brother in a family with juvenile DRPLA were collected.Furthermore,their clinical manifestations,electroneurophysiology results,neuroimaging characteristics and atrophin-1 gene CAG repeat numbers were detected and analyzed in detail.Results There were four patients in this family in total.The probands were two siblings,and they both had the onset manifestation of epilepsy.The younger brother had frequently epileptic seizure,marked cerebellar ataxia,involuntary movement and mental retardation.Compared with her younger brother,the sister had light symptoms such as mild memory deterioration without ataxia and involuntary movement,and she could undertake some simple work.The spike wave and sharp wave complex can be detected in electroencephalogram (EEG) examination,the cortical center segment lesions pathological changes were revealed in somatosensory evoked potentials (EP),and the latency period of P300 was prolonged in the both siblings.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed that the younger brother had marked atrophies in the cerebral cortex,brainstem and cerebellum.Furthermore,MRI showed that the elder sister had only mild atrophies in the cerebral cortex,brainstem and cerebellum,and that on the contrary some abnormally high signals were observed in cerebral cortex but not white matter.DRPLA gene detection revealed that the numbers of CAG repeats were 15/68 (the younger brother) and 15/64 (the elder sister),respectively.Conclusions Epilepsy,especially the myoclonus,is a common clinical manifestation for juvenile DRPLA,and many other types of epileptic seizures may arise with the development of DRPLA.DRPLA has diverse clinical heterogeneity.EEG,EP and brain MRI examination are great for DRPLA diagnosis and differential diagnosis,and the specific gene detection can be helpful for a definitive diagnosis.

To investigate the role of ligustrazine on relaxation of the isolated rabbit corpus cavernosum tissue in vitro, the effects of ligustrazine on the corpus cavernosum were observed by using experimental method of smooth muscle strips. Concentration-responses to phenylephine (PE) and KCl were recorded. The results showed that ligustrazine concentration-dependently depressed the contraction response of smooth muscle strips induced by PE. The maximum percentage relaxation of cavernosal strips by ligustrazine was 74.1% +/- 6.2% (compared with control: 21.9% +/- 5.6%, P < 0.01). Ligustrazine concentration-dependently reduced the amplitude of the contraction induced by cumulative doses of PE or KCl, shifted the cumulative concentration response curves of PE and KCI to the right and depressed their maximal responses. It was concluded that ligustrazine could significantly relax the cavernosal muscle contraction induced by PE in vitro. The results suggested that ligustrazine inhibited calcium ion influx.
Calcium Channels/drug effects ; Muscle Contraction/*drug effects ; Muscle Relaxation/*drug effects ; Muscle, Smooth/*drug effects ; Muscle, Smooth/physiology ; Penis/*drug effects ; Penis/physiology ; Phenylephrine/pharmacology ; Potassium Chloride/pharmacology ; Pyrazines/*pharmacology

Objective To investigate the clinical and molecular genetic changes in a Chinese family with oculopha?ryngeal muscular dystrophy(OPMD). Methods We collected the clinical data of the familial members and blood sam?ples from all available 16 familial members, including the proband. The samples were analyzed using modified poly?merase chain reaction amplification and direct sequence analysis. Results Male OPMD patients initially presented with ptosis, followed by pronunciation difficulty, dysphagia and limb weakness whereas female OPMD patients initially pre?sented with swallowing difficulty. Genetic test revealed the abnormal expansions of the GCG trinucleotide repeat from GCG6 to GCG10 in PABPN1 gene in 10 familial members. Conclusions The genetic test and prenatal diagnosis is the key for the prevention treatment of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy. The ptosis of eyelid may be the initial symptom for the male patients of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy with (GCG)10 mutation.

To investigate the role of ligustrazine on relaxation of the isolated rabbit corpus cavernosum tissue in vitro, the effects of ligustrazine on the corpus cavernosum were observed by using experimental method of smooth muscle strips. Concentration-responses to phenylephine (PE) and KCl were recorded. The results showed that ligustrazine concentration-dependently depressed the contraction response of smooth muscle strips induced by PE. The maximum percentage relaxation of cavernosal strips by ligustrazine was 74.1% ±6.2 % (compared with control: 21.9 % ±5.6 %, P ＜0.01). Ligustrazine concentration-dependently reduced the amplitude of the contraction induced by cumulative doses of PE or KCl, shifted the cumulative concentration response curves of PE and KCl to the right and depressed their maximal responses. It was concluded that ligustrazine could significantly relax the cavernosal muscle contraction induced by PE in vitro. The results suggested that ligustrazine inhibited calcium ion influx.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of chuanxiongzine on the relaxation of isolated rabbit corpus cavernosum tissues.

METHODSObservations were made on the relaxing effect of chuanxiongzine on phenylephrine (PE)-precontracted corpus cavernosum and cavernosal strips preincubated with L-NAME, and ODQ, using endothelium removal and experimental method of smooth muscle strips. The effect of chuanxiongzine on cAMP and cGMP levels in corpus cavernosum was measured by 125I radioimmunoassay.

RESULTSChuanxiongzine had concentration-dependent relaxing effect on the cavernosal muscle contraction induced by PE (EC50 1.58 x 10(-4) mol/L). This relaxing effect was partially antagonized by ODQ and not blocked by L-NAME or endothelium removal. In PE-precontracted cavernosal strips, chuanxiongzine induced relaxation accompanied with an increase in cAMP and cGMP levels.

CONCLUSIONChuanxiongzine was effective in relaxing cavernosal muscle precontracted by PE in vitro. And its relaxing effect may be enhanced by increasing cGMP and cAMP levels in the corpus cavernosum.

Animals ; Cyclic AMP ; metabolism ; Cyclic GMP ; metabolism ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Muscle Relaxation ; drug effects ; Muscle, Smooth ; drug effects ; physiology ; Penis ; drug effects ; physiology ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; Rabbits

Objective Based on gender differences,this paper discusses the characteristics of facial color diagnosis in male and female patients with metaplastic chronic atrophic gastritis(CAG),and explores the pathological mechanism of different gender patients from the perspective of TCM pathogenesis,so as to provide personalized reference for TCM prevention and treatment of metaplastic CAG.Methods In this study,the complexion information of patients with chronic non atrophic gastritis(CNG)and CAG was collected by MT-BX-01 four-diagnostic instrument.The color colorimetric characteristics of male and female metaplastic CAG patients and CNG patients were analyzed by case-control study.Results In female patients,the L value and a value of liver region in CAG with mild intestinal metaplasia(IM)group,moderate and severe IM were significantly lower than those in CNG group(P<0.05).In male patients,the L value of spleen region in CAG with moderate and severe IM group was significantly higher than that in CNG group(P<0.05).Conclusion There is a certain gender difference in the facial color characteristics of patients with metaplastic CAG.The facial chromaticity value of female patients with metaplastic CAG changes most significantly in the liver area,while that of male patients mainly in the spleen area.It is suggested that the incidence of female metaplastic CAG is mostly related to liver,while that of male is mostly related to spleen,which provides a personalized method for clinical diagnosis and treatment of metaplastic CAG based on gender differences.