Humans ; Myocardium ; chemistry ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Troponin ; analysis

Although there are many methods to estimate the early postmortal interval, more attention has been paid to the research on measuring the amount of DNA in cells. This paper introduce several different measuring ways, law of variation and application situation of DNA in cells. In addition, the result evaluation of measuring methods and application prospect is given.
DNA/analysis* ; Flow Cytometry ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Kidney/chemistry* ; Liver/chemistry* ; Myocardium/chemistry* ; Postmortem Changes ; Time Factors

Objective: To explore the value of paraquat (PQ) intake, urine protein and myocardial enzyme indexes in judging the prognosis of patients with acute PQ poisoning. Methods: From September to December 2021, all 201 patients with acute PQ poisoning admitted to Guangzhou Twelfth People's Hospital from January 2010 to December 2019 were selected as the research objects. Based on follow-up results 60 days after poisoning, the research objects were divided into survival group (n=78) and death group (n=123) . The differences in information about poisoning, treatment plan, PQ intake, urine protein, creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme, lactate dehydrogenase, and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase between the two groups of patients were compared and analyzed. Logistic regression and Cox regression were used to analyze the correlation between poisoning outcome and PQ intake, urine protein and myocardial enzymes. ROC curve and principal component analysis were used to explore high-efficiency indicators for predicting the outcome of acute PQ poisoning. Results: The PQ intake[50 (20, 100) ml], urine protein (total rank 15570.50) , creatine kinase[ (336.36±261.96) U/L], creatine kinase isoenzyme[ (43.91±43.74) U/L], lactate dehydrogenase [ (346.01±196.50) U/L], α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase content[ (271.23±11.92) U/L] of patients in the death group were all higher than the survival group[15 (10, 20) ml, 4730.50, (187.78±178.06) U/L, (18.88±15.50) U/L, (190.92±60.50) U/L, (152.60±48.34) U/L, respectively] (P<0.05) . The outcome of acute PQ poisoning was positively correlated with PQ intake, urine protein, creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme, lactate dehydrogenase, and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (P<0.05) . Multivariate logistic regression and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme, lactate dehydrogenase and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase was positively correlated with the prognosis of patients with acute PQ poisoning (P<0.05) . ROC curve analysis and principal component analysis showed that the combined indexes of PQ intake, urine protein and myocardial enzymes had the highest efficacy and weight in judging the prognosis of patients (AUC=0.91, weight coefficient=0.19, sensitivity=0.76, specificity=0.89) . When the combined score was ≥4, the probability of accurately predicting the death of patients was as high as 91% (positive predictive value=0.91) . Conclusion: PQ intake, urine protein combined with creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme, lactate dehydrogenase, and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase has high value in predicting the prognosis of patients with acute PQ poisoning.
Humans ; Creatine ; Creatine Kinase ; Isoenzymes ; Lactate Dehydrogenases ; Paraquat/poisoning* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Myocardium/enzymology* ; Urine/chemistry*

The blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is an important evidence to determine the alcohol level at the time of death. But due to the postmortem synthesis and diffusion of alcohol, the cadaveric BAC can not always represent the original BAC at the time of death. It is a crucial problem to determine the original level in corpse. The article reviewed the following points: the distribution in corpse, and how to sample, the influences on the diffusion of alcohol and putrefaction, the discussion about alcohol mass concentration measure methods.
Body Fluids/chemistry* ; Cadaver ; Ethanol/urine* ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Gastrointestinal Contents/chemistry* ; Humans ; Myocardium/metabolism* ; Postmortem Changes ; Time Factors ; Vitreous Body/chemistry* ; Wounds and Injuries/metabolism*

OBJECTIVETo observe the oral acute toxicity of of (+)-usnic acid in mice and assess its cytotoxicity in rat cardiac fibroblasts.

METHODSThe mice with acute poisoning of (+)-usnic acid at different doses by oral administration were observed for toxic manifestations, and the LD(50) was determined. The survival time and survival rate of the mice receiving different doses of (+)-usnic acid were observed. Cultured rat cardiac fibroblasts were inoculated with different concentrations of (+)-usnic acid, and the cell growth inhibition rate was estimated and the IC(50) determined using MTT assay.

RESULTSHigher dose of (+)-usnic acid resulted in more obvious symptoms of poisoning and shorter survival time of the mice. The LD(50) of (+)-usnic acid in mice by oral administration was 388 mg/kg. The manifestations of poisoning such as apathism, pilomotor, chill, dyspnea, torpidity and anorexia was observed. Rat cardiac fibroblasts incubated with (+)-usnic acid showed obvious growth inhibition, which was positively correlated to the dose of (+)-usnic acid, and high dose of (+)-usnic acid caused severe cell injuries. The IC(50) of (+)-usnic acid in rat cardiac fibroblasts was 322 microg/ml.

CONCLUSION(+)-usnic acid is a natural compound of low toxicity in mice, and low to medium dose of (+)-usnic acid dose not produce obvious cytotoxicity.

Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Benzofurans ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; Lethal Dose 50 ; Mice ; Myocardium ; cytology ; Rats ; Stereoisomerism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and cardiac function/structure in patients with chronic heart failure.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty patients with decompensated chronic heart failure were included. The patients were divided into cTnI normal group (cTnIn; n = 80) and cTnI elevated group (cTnIe; n = 40). Systolic dimension of the left atrium (LAd), the maximal width of the left ventricle (LVd), the thickness of the interventricular septum (IVS) and posterior wall (LVPW) during diastole, left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), E and A wave velocities ratio (E/A) were determined. Bivariate correlation analysis was applied to show the correlation of serum cTnI level with above indices. Partial correlation analysis was performed followed by multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTSLAd and LVd dimensions were significantly higher (P < 0.05), IVS, LVPW, LVEF and E/A ratio were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in cTnIe group than in cTnIn group. Moreover, serum cTnI was positively correlated with LAd, LVd, and inversely correlated with IVS, LVPW, LVEF and E/A ratio (P < 0.05). The correlation persistent after adjusting with sex, history of heart failure, NYHA functional class and treatment. In multivariate modeling, cTnI was positively associated with LAd, LVd and the history of heart failure, and negatively related with the treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor.

CONCLUSIONSerum cTnI correlated with cardiac structure and function. Intensively serum cTnI monitoring and suitable therapy strategy may be helpful to attenuate the cardiac remodeling in patients with chronic heart failure.

Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Heart Failure ; blood ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardium ; chemistry ; Troponin I ; blood ; Ventricular Remodeling

AIMTo determine whether repetitive exposure to high sustained +Gz acceleration induces persisting changes in the myocardial free radical metabolism and observe the protective effects of low-G training and antioxidant tea polyphenols (TP).

METHODSThirty-two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=8 each): group A, restrained, was only submitted to +1 Gz for 5 min. Group B, centrifuged, was exposed to five plateaus of 30 s at +10 Gz for intermittent times, three times a week, for three weeks. Group C, low-G trained, was exposed to +2 Gz for 5 min about 1 h prior to +10 Gz stress, and group D was orally given TP at dose of 200 mg/kg about 1 h prior to +10 Gz stress. On the next day morning after last centrifuge run, the rats were decapitated and the hearts were quickly removed. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured. Additionally, CuZn-SOD and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) enzymatic contents were examined by immunohistochemical staining and their mRNA were analyzed by semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).

RESULTSCompared with group A, MDA concentration and iNOS enzymatic content in myocardial mitochondria were increased significantly (P < 0.05) in group B. Compared with group B, mitochondrial SOD activity was significantly increased in group C (P < 0.05). iNOS enzymatic content was significantly decreased in group C and D. There were no significant differences of CuZn-SOD content, CuZn-SOD and iNOS mRNA levels among the four groups.

CONCLUSIONRepeated high +Gz exposure can induce myocardial free radical metabolic disorder and mainly result in mitochondrial peroxidative injury. But low-G training and natural antioxidant TP have protective effects, and the former is better.

Acceleration ; Adaptation, Physiological ; physiology ; Animals ; Free Radicals ; metabolism ; Male ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Polyphenols ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Tea ; chemistry

To study the effect and mechanism of Dendrobium candidum on isoproterenol-induced myocardial hypertrophy in rats, 60 healthy SD rats(30 males and 30 females) were randomly divided into 5 groups(12 in each group): normal group, model group, three D. candidum preventive administration groups(0.09, 0.18, 1.1 g·kg⁻¹). Except for the normal group, rats of other groups were injected back subcutaneously with ISO(5 mg·kg⁻¹) for 10 consecutive days. At the same time, preventive administration groups began to give different doses of the sample for 30 days and model group began to give normal saline. Left ventricular systolic pressure(LVSP) was measured in each group by common carotid artery cannulation, and the left ventricle(LW)/tibia length, heart weight index(HWI) and myocardial hydroxyproline(Hydro) content were calculated. Myocardial tissue HE staining and Masson staining were used to observe the myocardial structure and the degree of myocardial fibrosis respectively. Atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP), brain natriuretic peptide(BNP), and cardiac troponin I(cTN-I) concentration were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The results showed that as compared with the normal group, the levels of ANP, BNP and cTN-I in plasma were significantly increased in ISO-induced hypertrophic rats; as compared with the model group, D. candidumcan inhibit ISO-induced ventricular pressure and ventricular hypertrophy, reduce myocardial collagen synthesis, improve myocardial fibrosis and ventricular remodeling, and significantly down-regulate ANP, BNP and cTN-I levels in plasma. This study shows that D. candidum has a protective effect on isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy.
Animals ; Cardiomegaly ; drug therapy ; Dendrobium ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Isoproterenol ; Male ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

In order to explore the specificity of complement C5 in the postmortem diagnosis of myocardial infarction, changes of C5 staining in normal, infarcted and other non-infarcted myocardia with direct or indirect myocardial injuries (myocarditis, mechanical asphyxia, electrocution, hemorrhagic shock, cardiac contusion and organophosphate poisoning) were studied with immunohistochemistry and image analysis. The results showed that positive C5 staining could be observed in groups of myocardial infarction and myocarditis, but not in groups of mechanical asphyxia, electrocution, hemorrhagic shock, cardiac contusion, and organophosphate poisoning. It is indicated that positive reaction of C5 could only be affected by myocarditis, which means that it was more specific for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Complement C5/analysis* ; Female ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction/diagnosis* ; Myocardium/chemistry* ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo determine the concentration in mice of danshensu from sodium danshensu and Salvia miltiorrhiza injection and undertake comparative study of them as well as to assess the effect of other components of S. miltiorrhiza injection on the tissue distribution of danshensu.

METHODMice received intraperitoneal administration of sodium danshensu or S. miltiorrhiza injection (equal to danshensu 60 mg x kg(-1)) respectively, and was executed 30 minutes after administration. The concentration of danshensu in different tissues was separately determined by high performance liquid chromatographic method.

RESULTThe characteristic profiles of sodium danshensu in different tissues were C(kidney) > C(spleen) > C(lung) > C(heart) > C(liver). The characteristic profiles of danshensu from S. miltiorrhiza injection in different tissues were C(kidney) > C(lung) > C(spleen) > C(heart) approximately C(liver). The concentration of danshensu in S. miltiorrhiza injection in liver and kindey was higher than sodium danshensu itself.

CONCLUSIONIt was suggested that the other components in S. miltiorrhiza injection influent the distribution profile in tissues of danshensu.

Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacokinetics ; Female ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Kidney ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Lactates ; pharmacokinetics ; Liver ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Lung ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Myocardium ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Plant Preparations ; pharmacokinetics ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; Spleen ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Tissue Distribution