The effect of glucose on acylcoenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase-1 (ACAT-1) expression in THP-1-derived macrophages was investigated.The results showed that high concentrations of glucose up-regulated ACAT-1 expression in THP-1-derived macrophages.

Objective To evaluate the changes of left ventricular (LV) bulk rotation and untwisting in transplanted hearts using 2-dimensional speckle tracking imaging(STI).Methods Basal and apical LV short-axis images were acquired in 15 heart transplant recipients 3 months post surgery(HT group) and 56 healthy control subjects.Basal and apical rotation versus time profiles were drawn using 2-dimensional STI software.Appropriate values were chosen from the dataset obtained and compared between two groups.Results ①Compared with the control group,the heart rate,anterior-posterior diameter of left atrium,enddiastolic interventricular septum thickness,left ventricular posterior wall thickness,isovolumic relaxation time and E/e ratio were significantly increased,e and a values were decreased significantly in HT group (P ＜ 0.05).② No significant difference was noticed in the peak degrees of LV bulk rotation,the degrees of LV bulk rotation at the time of aortic valve closure and mitral valve opening (P =0.700,0.984,0.495,respectively) between 2 groups.In both groups,systolic rotation reached its maximum at end-systole [(96.1 ± 8.4) ％ in HT group vs (100.5 ± 6.3) ％ in control group,P =0.065].③Significant decreases in untwisting rate and trend untwisting variables were observed in the HT group(P ＜0.001).Conclusions 3 months after transplanted,left ventricular bulk rotation of cardiac allografts remained normal,and significant decreases in both untwisting rate and trend untwisting variables showed that the diastolic function of cardiac allografts was impaired.

AIM: To elucidate the relationship of inflammation, coagulation and cholesterol gallstone formation. METHODS: Hamsters were divided into four groups: control group (feeding normal diet), lithogenic diet (LD) 2 weeks group, LD 6 weeks group and LD+aspirin 6 weeks group. Gallstone incidence, antithrombin antigen (AT-Ⅲ:Ag), antithrombin activity (AT-Ⅲ:Ac), thrombin (F-Ⅱa:Ac), plasminogen activator inhibitor activity (PAI:Ac), plasmin activity (Plm:Ac), D-dimer:Ag and C-reactive protein (CRP) in gallbladder bile were observed as read-out parameters. RESULTS: The incidence of gallstones in control group, LD 2 weeks group, LD 6 weeks group and LD+aspirin group were 0%, 20%, 73% and 25%, respectively. AT-Ⅲ:Ag, F-Ⅱa:Ac, D-dimer and CRP in LD 2 weeks group and LD 6 weeks group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P

Objective To probe the value of multi-slice spiral CT angiography (MSCTA) in decreasing surgical trauma of the cranial base meningioma. Methods Thirty-two patients with cranial base meningioma were examined preoperatively with MSCTA to observe the shape and the relationship with the adjacent vessels and the skull base. Three-dimensional images were reconstructed to imitate the approach of operation and compared with surgical findings. Meanwhile, 22 patients withnot MSCTA were selected randomly as control group. The amount of blood transfusion and the occurrence rate of complications were compared between the two groups. Results MSCTA depiceted clear three dimensional images of the meningioma and the relationship with the adjacent vessels and the skull base, corresponded very well to the surgery. By imitating the operation, all patients were designed the incision size of bone appropriately, the vessels of peritumoral were kept off effectively and the risk of the embedded vascular were assessed accurately. The conventional surgical approach and method were changed in 9 patients, 4 formulated the planning of the sub-total resection and radiotherapy preoperatively. Compared with control group, the amount of blood transfusion reduced significantly (P<0.05) and postoperative complications decreased. Conclusion MSCTA can imitate the surgical operations in multi-angle and supply the vital information for choosing the proper surgical approach, thereby reducing surgical trauma and postoperative complications.

Objective To use tri-operator breast blood oxygen imaging in diagnosis of early stage breast cancer.Methods To analysis and diagnosis eighty cases with the technology of breast blood oxygen imaging.Results The accurate rate of the diagnosis made by technology of breast blood oxygen imaging was 93.75%,the sensitivity of diagnosis was 90.63%,the specificity was 95.83%.Conclusions The technology of breast blood oxygen imaging without the radiation may be a better methods to diagnosis the breast diseases,which has the higher sensitivity than infrared rays examination on breast cancer diagnosis.

BACKGROUNDSomafostatin receptors (SSTRs) have been suggested to involve in mediating the effect of somatostatin on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in an activation-dependent way. We, therefore, try to investigate the relationship between expression of SSTRs and activation of rat HSCs.

METHODSHSCs were isolated from rats by in situ perfusion and single-step density gradient centrifugation. SSTR1-5 mRNA levels in the differentiated first passage HSCs were detected by means of a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. On the other hand, hepatic fibrosis was induced in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats by carbon tetrachloride intoxication, and the expression of SSTR1-5 in normal as well as fibrotic livers was measured by immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTSSSTR mRNA and SSTR could not be found in freshly isolated rat HSCs or normal rat liver. However, SSTR1-3 mRNA appeared as HSCs became wholly activated, and could also be identified on the membrane of activated HSCs in the perisinusoid space, fibrous septa, etc.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of SSTR1-3 in the rat HSC is closely related to its activation. This may reflect one of the main negative regulation mechanisms in the course of HSC activation.

Animals ; Liver ; cytology ; metabolism ; Liver Cirrhosis ; etiology ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Somatostatin ; genetics

Clubfoot ; therapy ; External Fixators ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Musculoskeletal Manipulations ; Polyethylene ; Splints ; Treatment Outcome

With improved overall survival of cervical cancer patients, the importance of the quality of life (QOL) is increasingly recognized. This study was conducted to compare the QOL of women with different stage cervical cancer before and after treatment to facilitate improved cervical cancer prevention and treatment. We used the generic Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36) to collect QOL information. Based on SF-36, we interviewed cervical cancer patients at West China Second Affiliated Hospital and Sichuan Cancer Hospital between May 2010 and January 2011. A total of 92 patients with precancerous lesions, 93 with early cancer, and 35 with advanced cancer responded to our survey. Average physical component summary (PCS) scores were significantly different between the three groups at every time point (P < 0.05). Average mental component summary (MCS) scores were significantly different between the three groups after treatment (P < 0.05). Average PCS and MCS scores increased gradually from the pretreatment to posttreatment period for patients with precancerous lesions. However, they reached the lowest at 1 month after treatment for patients with early and advanced cancers and rebounded between 1 and 6 months after treatment. Our results indicate that patients with precancerous lesions and early cervical cancer show better overall QOL than do those with advanced cervical cancer. Additionally, patients with early cancer recover more quickly than do those with advanced cancer in terms of both physical and mental functions. Thus, early detection and treatment initiatives may improve the QOL for patients with precancerous lesions and cervical cancer.
Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma in Situ ; pathology ; therapy ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; pathology ; therapy ; Chemoradiotherapy ; China ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; methods ; Lymph Node Excision ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Precancerous Conditions ; pathology ; therapy ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; pathology ; therapy ; Young Adult

The expression of beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes and its effect on neonatal rat cardiac fibroblast proliferation were investigated by radioligand binding assay and [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation analysis, respectively. The results indicated that there was no significant difference in the beta-adrenergic receptor density (B(max)) and affinity (K(D)) between cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts. The [(125)I]-pindolol competitive inhibition curves (ICI 118551 and CGP 20712A) were significantly better fit in a one-site model in membrane preparation of cardiac fibroblasts. In cultured cardiac fibroblasts, 0.1 micromol/L isoproterenol-induced [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation was completely inhibited by a selective beta (2)-AR antagonist ICI 118551, or a non-selective beta-AR antagonist propranolol, but not by CGP 20712A, a selective beta(1)-AR antagonist. These results suggest that isoproterenol-induced cardiac fibroblast proliferation is mediated by beta(2)-AR, the preponderant beta-AR subtype in cardiac fibroblasts.
Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology

Adolescent ; Adult ; Agranulocytosis ; microbiology ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Daptomycin ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult