AIM: To investigate the level of ET-1 produced by cultured human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) under injury and the effects of injured HBECs on ET-1 production in sub-epithelial fibroblasts. The interaction between ET-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9) was detected in HBECs under damage. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of injured HBECs related to ET-1 release on airway remodeling in asthma. METHODS: ET-1 level was detected in supernatants from cultured HBECs 12 h after being treated with either mechanical scraping or LPS stimulation or mechanical scraping plus LPS, as well as from subepithelial fibroblasts cocultured with mechanical damaged HBECs. It was also measured in the supernatant from HBECs transfected with MMP-9 expression plasmid. MMP-9 activity was assessed in supernatants from HBECs stably transfected with pEGFPc1 -antisense-ET-1 converting enzyme(ECE) RNA. RESULTS: It was found that there was an increase in ET-1 level in supernatants from HBECs either treated with mechanical scraping plus LPS or transiently transfected with MMP-9 plasmid, as well as from sub-epithelial fibroblasts cocultured with mechanical scraping HBECs compared with that in controls. Gelatin zymography showed a obviously attenuated gelatinolytic activity of MMP-9 in conditioned media of HBECs expressing antisense ECE RNA after mechanical damage. CONCLUSIONS: Airway epithelial cells under injury are able to overproduce ET-1 as well as initiate ET-1 release from sub-epithelial fibroblasts, MMP-9 produced by injured bronchial epithelial cells may also increase ET-1 processing leading to ET-1 production further. The interaction between ET-1 and MMP-9, both of which enhanced in damaged HBECs, may play an important role in airway inflammation related to airway remodeling in asthma.

Objective To study the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on the proliferation, apoptosis and collagen synthesis of human lung fibroblast (HLF). Methods HLF was primarily cultured in complete medium of DMEM/F12. Different concentrations of NAC (5,10,20,40mmol/L) were administrated. Cell proliferations were tested by methylthiazolyltetrazolium (MTT) ,apoptosis and cell cycle were detected with Flow cytometer and mRNA and 40 mmoi/L )after 24 hours,the apoptosis rates were (34.38±5.80)%, (37.72±3.10)%, (44.05± 4.52) % and (59.18±5.24) % ) respectively, significantly higher than that of the controls (3.92±1.24) % pression of type Ⅰ procollagen in HLF was decreased significantly after administration of NAC at 5, 10,20, 40 mmol/L respectively (P < 0.01 ). Conclusion Administration of NAC induces apoptosis and directly inhibites the proliferation and the collagen synthesis of HLF.

Objective To explore change of diaphragm electromyograms in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypoventilation syndrome (OSAHS) before and after nocturnal sleep, as well as effective nasal continuous positive airway pressure (n-CPAP) ventilation treatment for more than two months. Methods Diaphragm electromyogram was recorded with chest surface electrodes in 22 patients with moderate and severe OSAHS and 24 normal people, and phrenic nerve conduction time (PNCT) and diaphragm compound muscle action potential (CMAP) provoked by unilateral magnetic stimulation (UMS) were measured for them before and after sleep. Measurements were repeated for five patients with severe OSAHS after effective OSAHS patients before and after nocturnal sleep than that in normal people bilaterally, (8.4±0. 6)ms and (8.4±0. 9)ms vs (7. 3±0. 8)ms and (7. 3±0. 8) ms for the left side; and (8.4±1.3) ms and (8. 9 ± 0. 8) ms vs (7.2 ± 0. 8) ms and (7.2 ± 0. 8 ) ms for the right side ( P < 0. 01 ), respectively ; and amplitude of CMAP was significantly lower in OSAHS patients, (0. 60±0. 20)mV and (0. 64±0. 29)mV vs (0. 98 ± 0. 28)mV and (0. 97±0. 27)mV for the left side; and (0. 53±0. 23)mV and (0. 56±0. 26)mV vs (0. 93 ±0. 29) mV and ( 0. 94 ± 0. 29 ) mV for the right side, respectively ( P < 0. 01 ) ; but no significant significantly shortened bilaterally in five patients with severe OSAHS after effective n-CPAP ventilation treatment for more than two months, (8.6±0. 7)ms vs (7.4±0. 5)ms for the lfet side and (7. 8±0. 6)ms vs (6.4 ± 0. 6) ms for the fight side ( P < 0. 05 ), respectively. Conclusions Both phrenic nerve conduction and diaphragm muscle function are weakened in patients with OSAHA, which may be related to hypoxia and/ or disturbance of sleep structure at night.

Objective To investigate the severity of cough in patients with different etiology of chronic cough and its related factors. Methods One hundred and fifty patients with chronic cough were recruited. The diagnosis of the patients was as follows: 24 cases with post nasal drip syndrome (PNDs), 26 cough variant asthma (CVA), 20 gastroesophageal reflux-induced cough (GERC), 31 eosinophilic bronchitis (EB), 30 atopic cough (AC) and 19 cough post infection (CPI). The severity of cough at daytime and night-time were scored by the doctor and the patient at the first visit. The correlation between cough score and age, gender and course duration of patients was analyzed. Results There was no significantly difference of cough score at daytime among different groups. Cough score at night in CVA group was significantly higher than that of other five groups (all P <0.01). Regression analysis showed that cough score at daytime was significantly correlated with age of patients (P < 0.05), while cough score at night was correlated significantly with gender (P < 0.01). Conclusion Cough severity at daytime in different etiology of chronic cough is similar, while that at night in patient with CVA is higher than that with other etiology.

Disinfection means killing or removing pathogenic microorganisms in media to realize a harmless process. A disinfectant, which is also referred to as a disinfection medicine in relevant regulations, is the medicine used to kill microorganisms for the purpose of disinfection. The disinfectants prepared from plants (including traditional Chinese herbal medicines) and the extracts thereof are called herbal disinfectants[1]. China has a long history of using herbal disinfectants. As early as in 533 A.D., the use of Cornel to sterilize well water was recorded in Necessary Techniques for Qi People by Jia Enxie of the Beiwei Dynasty[2]. During the Dragon Boat Festival, people often use fumigants made of traditional Chinese herbal medicines like Chinese Atractylodes, Argy Wormwood Leaf and Red Arsenic Sulfide to smoke their houses, so as to ward off plagues and drive away evils[3]. In fact this is now a kind of disinfection practice.

Objective To find noninvasive estimation of partial pressure of carbon dioxide in artery (PaCO2) by measuring the end-tidal CO2 partial pressure (PETCO2) in elderly patients with respiratory failure with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods All the 30 acutely exacerbated COPD subjects received routine clinical treatment including bronchodilators,mucolytics, glucocorticosteroid, antibiotics and oxygen therapy for 5-7 days, and part of them received noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV) treatment concurrently. They were both tested by eupnea method and prolonged expiratory method before and after treatment. Results Before treatment, PET CO2 (Q) (end-tidal CO2 pressure with eupnea, (50.72±8.93) mm Hg wassignificantly lower than PaCO2 (F=38.73, P＜0.01 ). Yet, PETCO2(P) (end-tidal CO2 pressure with prolong expiration) was (70.35±8.91) mm Hg and PaCO2 was (71.25±9.08) mm Hg. There was no significant difference between PETCO2 (P) and PaCO2 (P＞0.05). The similar results were found after treatment. By linear regression analysis, PetCO2(P) was remarkably positive correlated with PaCO2 before and after treatment (r=0.96 and 0.97, respectively, P＜0.01). According to TABG,PCO2(C) which was calculated by the average expiratory time of fitting curve was (71.78±9.04)mm Hg. And there was no significant difference between PCO2 (C) and PaCO2 (P＞0.05);Thesimilar results were founcl after treatment. By linear regression analysis, PCO2 (C) was remarkably positively correlated with PaCO2 (r=0.97 and 0.98, respectively, P＜0.01) before and after treatment. Conclusions In COPD patients with type Ⅱ respiratory failure, conventional PETCO2 (Q) is significantly lower than PaCO2. Yet, PETCO2 (P) could exactly estimate PaCO2 and is appropriate to its dynamic monitoring. And PCO2 (C) which is calculated by mode Boltzmann on eupnea curve also obtain similar results.

ObjectiveTo evaluate CT and MRI findings of the intrathoracic ganglioneuroma and to improve its diagnosis and differential diagnosis ability.MethodsClinical,CT( n = 14),MRI (n = 6) and pathology manifestations of 20 patients with the intrathoracic ganglioneuroma were retrospectively analyzed.All 20 cases had chest CT and MRI plain scanning and multiphase enhance scanning before operation.ResultsSeventeen of 20 lesions were located in posterior mediastinum,2 in pleura side and 1 in right thorax cavity.The CT value of the plain scans ranged from 20 to 40 HU ( mean 30.5 HU),Tubercle calcification were detected in four masses,one case with fat density was showed on CT scanning.After injecting contrast media,CT value ranged from 0 to 12 HU (mean 6.2 HU) in artery phase,ranging from 10 to 20 HU ( mean 14.3 HU) in delay phase.Five of 6 cases of MRI signals were homogeneously low intensity on T1 WI,1 case with fat signal was imhomogeneously low intensity on T1WI.Six cases were imhomogeneously high intensity on T2WI.A whorled appearance was visualized in one tumor on T2WI.The post-contrast enhancement MR images was slight enhancement imhomogeneously in artery phase and gradual increasing enhancement in delay phase.ConclusionOn CT and MR imaging,no enhancement or slight enhancement in artery phase and gradual increasing enhancement in delay phase are characteristic manifestations of ganglioneuroma in the thorax.

AIM: To investigate the application of phrenic nerve conduction time(PNCT) in the recovery of general anaesthesia. METHODS: Pdi (t) and PNCT were measured by cervical magnetic stimulation of phrenic nerves in 8 patients before and after the administration of muscle relaxant. RESULTS: Pdi (t) was reduced from (23.7?2.4) cmH 2O to (11.5?3.4) cmH 2O (reduction rate: 51.5%, P

Objectiev To explore the use of different nebulizer to establish mice model that have airway eosinophilic inflam -mation without airway hyperresponsiveness .Methods Female BALB/c mice were obtained and divided randomly into 3 groups:eo-sinophilic airway inflammation group ( experimental group ) , asthma group, and control group .Mice were immunized with ovalbumin ( OVA) .The experiment group and asthma group were challenged with an aerosol of 1% w/v OVA using a PARI TIA and PARI LC STAR nebulizer on day 28, 29, 30, respectively.The control mice were received saline sensitization and challenge .Airway respon-siveness was measured .Cell different counts in bronchial alveolus lavage fluid ( BALF) were performed and a pathologist performed histopathological evaluation of the trachea and lung .Results Airway responsiveness in the experimental group was not significantly different compared with the normal saline ( NS) group but was significantly different compared with the asthma group .Eosinophils in BALF were increased significantly in experimental group compared with the NS group , and significant difference was observed between experimental group and asthma group .The intensity of airway inflammation in experimental group was milder than that in the asthma model .Conclusions We established an eosinophilic bronchitis mice model without hyperresponsiveness successfully .Our model es-tablished a foundation for the further research in airway hyperresponsiveness .

The method of triggering the respirator to perform airfeed by the management of the diaphragmatic electromyography (EMG) signal is introduced in this paper. By using LabVIEW, an analysis software of the diaphragmatic electromyographic (EMG) signals is developed to filter the diaphragmatic EMG signal. The characteristics of the filtered signal is analyzed to catch the inspiratory onset, and then a series of signals are sent out duly to trigger the respirator to perform airfeed, and thus the patient's respiration can be synchronized with the respirator.