OBJECTIVETo investigate the penile erectile function of hospitalized male patients with cardiovascular diseases, the incidence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in this cohort, and the relationship of ED with cardiovascular diseases and its risk factors.

METHODSUsing a self-designed questionnaire, we conducted an investigation among the hospitalized patients in the Department of Cardiovascular Diseases of the First and Second Affiliated Hospitals of Xi'an Jiaotong University. We measured their body height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, and blood pressure, obtained their personal data, past history, metabolic indexes, and erectile function scores by IIEF-5, and analyzed the risk factors of ED using univariate and multivariate logistic regression and OR analyses.

RESULTSTotally, 225 valid questionnaires were included in this investigation, which showed a 66.7% incidence of ED, 15.8% mild, 27.0% mild to moderate, 17.6% moderate, and 6.3% severe. The incident rates of ED in the 18-35 yr, 36-49 yr, 50-65 yr, and > 65 yr age groups were 13.6%, 39.1%, 89.2%, and 91.2%, respectively. Univariate logistic regression analysis manifested that the risk factors of ED in the patients with cardiovascular diseases included age (OR = 3.122, 95% CI 2.040-4.779), smoking (OR = 1.768, 95% CI 1.209-2.584), BMI (OR = 1.261, 95% CI 1.114-1.427), total cholesterol (OR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.339-2.340), TC/HDL (OR =1.715, 95% CI 1.349-2.181), hypertension (OR = 1.717, 95% CI 1.110-2.658), and coronary heart disease (OR = 2.235, 95% CI 1.169-4.275), while multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the risk factors to be age (OR = 4.99, 95% CI 2.264-10.998), financial condition, (OR = 2.804, 95% CI 1.127-6.976), smoking (OR = 2.109, 95% CI 1.179-3.772), BMI (OR = 1.414, 95% CI 1.136-1.760), and TC/HDL (OR = 2.001, 95% CI 1.016-3.943).

CONCLUSIONThe incidence of ED is high in hospitalized patients with cardiovascular diseases and rises with the increase of age. Age, smoking, financial condition, BMI, and TC/HDL are the risk factors of both ED and cardiovascular diseases, and financial condition is closely associated with ED.

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Body Height ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; complications ; Erectile Dysfunction ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hypertension ; complications ; Imidazoles ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pyrimidines ; Regression Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; Waist Circumference ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the association between fibrinogen gene polymorphism(rs1049636) and serum γ′ fibrinogen level and ischemic stroke (IS) .Methods 421 IS patients and 421 age‐and gender‐ matched healthy controls ,including 283 males and 138 females ,were recruited in this assay .The plasma γ′fibrinogen concentration was measured by enzyme‐linked immunosor‐bent assay (ELISA) .Fibrinogen gene polymorphism(rs1049636) were genotyped by using PCR‐LDR assay .Results γ′fibrinogen concentrations in IS patients[(159 .4 ± 97 .4)U/dL] were significantly higher than that in control group[(114 .2 ± 73 .0)U/dL] with statistically significant difference(P<0 .001) .Single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) analysis showed that rs1049636 C allele was significantly associated withγ′fibrinogen level ,but not associated with increased risk of IS(P=0 .077) .Conclusion An associ‐ation between increasedγ′fibrinogen level and IS existed in Chinese Han population .However ,no association between rs1049636 C allele and IS risk was observed in our study .

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical value of lidocain in the treatment of tinnitus through three routes of administration (intravenous, intratympanic and acupoint injection) by analyzing literatures. METHOD: Articles were collected through Hownet, Wanfang, VIP, Pubmed, SciVerse ScienceDirect, Springer and OVID, etc. The articles were strictly evaluated based on their quality. The Meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the outcomes by RevMan 5. 2 software. RESULT: A total of 16 articles with 1203 patients were enrolled in the analysis. Their tinnitus history ranged from 7 hours to 20 years. Assessment methods include tinnitus loudness levels, severity scales and subjective feelings. None of articles refer to maintaining time, instead of "short-term", "short" and so on. A total of 133 cases received intravenous injection and the effective rate was 73.4% (98 cases). 50 cases and 332 cases received intratympanic and acupoint injection respectively and their effective rates were 74.0% and 87.7%, respectively. The effective rate ranged from 42.4% to 58.3% in control group. Meta-analysis results indicate that all three routes of lidocaine administrations are more effective than conventional methods (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Different routes of lidocaine administration have a good but short time effects on the tinnitus control. It can effectively reduce the time of tinnitus habituation as a complementary treatment. But its value still needs further evaluation.
Humans ; Lidocaine ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Tinnitus ; drug therapy

Objective To compare the effectiveness and safety of different intracranial stents assisted coil embolization of intracranial aneurysms and to discuss the selection of different stent assisted embolization of intracranial aneurysm.Methods From 2007 April to 2012 April,118 cases (a total of 128 wide-neck aneurysms) with intracranial aneurysms were analyzed retrospectively.This included the use of 70 neuroform,38 Enterprise,and 20 Solitaire AB stents forthe treatment of intracranial aneurysms.The successful use,aneurysm occlusion at the immediate post-operation,and early period of peri-operative complications were recorded from those clinical data in order to assess the effectiveness and safety of the different intracranial stents,which assisted coil embolization of intracranial aneurysms.Rank sum test and x2 test were used for statistics.Results Three aneurysms assisted with Neuroform stent were planted unsuccessfully,and the Enterprise and Solitaire stents were placed successfully.The embolism results of three stents after immediate postoperative angiography aneurysm: Neuroform stent occlusion rate was 40.0％ (28/ 70),the tumor residual rate was 38.6 ％ (27/70),and the partial embolization rate was 21.4 ％ (15/70) ; The Enterprise stent occlusion rate was 42.1％ (16/38),the tumor residual rate was 36.8 ％ (14/38),and the partial embolization rate was 21.1％ (8/38).The Solitaire AB stent occlusion rate was 40.0 ％ (8/20),the tumor residual rate was 35.0 ％ (7/20),and the partial embolization rate was 25.0 ％ (5/20).There were not significant differences in aneurismal occlusion (H =0.12,P ＞ 0.05).Early peri-operative complications results were: Neuroform stent occurred in 7,Enterprise frame in 4,and Solitaire AB stent occurred in 2.There were no significant differences in the incidence of complications in the early period after coiling (x2 =0,P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Three kinds of intracranial stents assisted embolization of intracranial aneurysms are applied safely and effectively.The stent may be chosen according to morphology of parent artery and stent biological character.

Objective To assess the application of three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography (3D-DSA) in evaluation of ruptured intracranial aneurysm after clipping and to discuss the different variable use of vol-ume rendering(VR), gradient rendering (GR) and maximum intensity projection (MIP). Methods From January 2011 to December 2012 , 88 patients with 92 ruptured intracranial aneurysms were treated with clipping using titani-um clips in our hospital and followed up by both 2D-DSA and 3D-DSA. Residual aneurysms , Clips place, clips and parent arteries and stenosis of parent arteries were evaluated by volume rendering (VR), gradient rendering (GR) and maximum intensity projection (MIP). Results Among 92 clipped aneurysms, 23 residual aneurysms were found by 3D-DSA. Residual aneurysms were recorded according to the Sindou grade: 15 of gradeⅠ, 3 of gradeⅡ, 4 of grade Ⅲand 1 of grade Ⅳ. Three patients of grade Ⅲand 1 of grade Ⅳwith residual aneurysms were retreated by clipping or coiling, and 1 patient of grade Ⅲ was dead with rupture of residual aneurysm. The clips and number of clips were clearly visualized , and relationship between the clips and the aneurysms was well demonstrated by VR, GR and MIP images. VR, GR images showed the remnants clearly. Three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography did not showed accurate details of the stenosis of parent arties which required an analysis of 2D-DSA. Conclusion Three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography can be used for definite evaluation of resid-ual aneurysms after clipping, especially by VR, GR images. It is helpful to manage the residual ruptured aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical significance of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) core antigen detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). METHODS: The serum HCV core antigen, which was taken from 149 patients with chronic hepatitis C, 20 patients of chronic hepatitis B and 20 health volunteers, was detected by ELISA. Meanwhile, the serum HCV RNA was detected by RT-PCR, and anti-HCV was detected by ELISA. RESULTS: The qualitative HCV core antigen in the serum, which was take from 20 patients of chronic hepatitis B and 20 health volunteers, was negative.The positive percentage of HCV core antigen was 49.66% in the 149 sera of patients with chronic hepatitis C. The coincidence of detective results of HCV RNA and HCV core antigen was 54.36%, without significant difference (P>0.05). The positive percentage of HCV RNA and HCV core antigen in the 149 anti-HCV antibody positive sera samples were 55.03% (82/149) and 49.66% (74/149), respectively, and there was no significant difference (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The qualitative HCV core antigen detected by ELISA has a high specificity. The positive percentage of HCV core antigen in the serum of patients with chronic hepatitis C is 49.66%. HCV core antigen is related to HCV RNA. HCV core antigen may be a useful serum marker which could show HCV viraemia like HCV RNA.
Hepatitis C Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; blood ; Humans ; RNA, Viral ; blood ; Viral Core Proteins ; blood

Objective To establish an isolated rat pancreas perfusion technique,a method for the precise measurement of insulin secretion in vitro.Methods An isolated rat pancreas perfusion technique was applied in the study of insulin secretion from?-cells in 10 high-fat diet-induced obese Wistar rats.Results For the assessment of the functional integrity of the perfused pancreas,the isolated pancreas of 6 rats met all the criteria: (1)The constancy of perfusion pressure was kept over the whole experiment time[(70?5)mm Hg,1 mm Hg= 0.133 kPa].(2)The duodenal peristaltic activity of isolated pancreas and duodenum block was present after perfusion experiment.(3)Total insulin response to arginine stimulation was significantly increased as compared with glucose stimulation[maximum insulin secretion rate:(987?100)?U/min vs(545?50)?U/min,P

Objective To investigate the indication and result of parental artery occlusion, embolization with coils, stents in treatment of the traumatic carotid artery pseudoaneurysm. Methods There were six patients with traumatic carotid artery pseudoaneurysm including three patients of cavernous pseudoaneurysm combined with carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF), two with simple traumatic carotid artery pseudoaneurysm and one with traumatic carotid artery pseudoaneurysm that was found after CCF embolization with detachable balloon. The treatment included balloon occlusion for CCF and traumatic carotid pseudoaneurysm in one patient, coil embolization in three and intenal carotid artery balloon occlusion in two. The Clinical manifestations, imaging data, choice of treatment, clinical efficacy, follow-up data and literatures were analyzed to discuss the indications for three treatments. Results There was no cerebral ischemia or surgically-related complication. No epistaxis occurred. The eyeball protrusion restoration was found in three patients and intracranial bruit vanishing in three. Vision was improved one patient after half a year follow-up. The pupils shrank in three patients during follow - up. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) showed no recurrence of pseudoaneurysm. Conclusions Endovascular treatment is the preferred choice of treatment for traumatic carotid artery pseudoaneurysm. The occlusion or parent artery balloon occlusion can be used when the pseudoaneurysm is combined with CCF. Coil embolization can be used for shoes with narrow neck, stent technology combined with coil embolization for those with wide neck and the covered stent for the rock section of the internal carotid artery.

To develop a cell-penetrating chimeric apoptotic peptide AVPI-LMWP/DNA co-delivery system for cancer therapy, we prepared the AVPI-LMWP/pTRAIL self-assembled complexes containing a therapeutic combination of peptide drug AVPI and DNA drug TRAIL. The chimeric apoptotic peptide AVPI-LMWP was synthesized using the standard solid-phase synthesis. The cationic AVPI-LMWP could condense pTRAIL by electrostatic interaction. The physical-chemical properties of the AVPI-LMWP/pTRAIL complexes were characterized. The cellular uptake efficiency and the inhibitory activity of the AVPI-LMWP/pTRAIL complexes on tumor cell were also performed. The results showed that the AVPI-LMWP/pTRAIL complexes were successfully prepared by co-incubation. With the increase of mass ratio (AVPI-LMWP/DNA), the particle size was decreased and the zeta potential had few change. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed that AVPI-LMWP could fully bind and condense pTRAIL at a mass ratio above 15:1. Cellular uptake efficiency was improved along with the increased ratio of W(AVPI-LMWP)/WpTRAIL. The in vitro cytotoxicity experiments demonstrated that the AVPI-LMWP/pTRAIL (W:W = 20:1) complexes was significantly more effective than the pTRAIL, AVPI-LMWP alone or LMWP/pTRAIL complexes on inhibition of HeLa cell growth. Our studies indicated that the AVPI-LMWP/pTRAIL co-delivery system could deliver plasmid into HeLa cell and induce tumor cell apoptosis efficiently, which showed its potential in cancer therapy using combination of apoptoic peptide and gene drugs.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; Cell-Penetrating Peptides ; chemistry ; DNA ; chemistry ; Drug Delivery Systems ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Particle Size ; Plasmids

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of policosanol on serum lipid and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in patients with hyperlipidemia.

METHODSThis randomized, open study included 72 patients with hyperlipidemia. The patients were randomly assigned to treatment group (policosanol, 20 mg/d, n = 36) or placebo group (placebo, two tablets/d, n = 36). The levels of serum lipids, hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), HO-1 were assessed before and after 16 weeks treatment. Drug-induced adverse effects and events were recorded during the observation period. The serum HO-1 was measured by ELISA.

RESULTS(1) After 16 weeks, all parameters remained unchanged in the placebo group; the level of TC decreased from (7.01 ± 1.03) mmol/L to (5.66 ± 0.83) mmol/L (-19.4%, P < 0.01), the level of LDL-C decreased from (4.78 ± 0.72) mmol/L to (3.70 ± 0.69) mmol/L (-22.5%, P < 0.01) in the treatment group. TG and HDL-C levels remained unchanged (P > 0.05) while the level of HO-1 significantly decreased from (1.82 ± 1.08) µg/L to (1.45 ± 0.81) µg/L (P < 0.01) and the level of hs-CRP decreased from (3.40 ± 3.64) mg/L to (1.86 ± 2.02) mg/L (P < 0.01) in the treatment group. (2) Safety index was similar between placebo and treatment groups (P > 0.05) and there was no adverse events including allergic reaction, muscle pain in all subjects during the observation period.

CONCLUSIONThe short-term data obtained from this small hyperlipidemia patient cohort suggest that policosanol is a safe lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory agent for hyperlipidemia patients.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Fatty Alcohols ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; blood ; drug therapy ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged