Animals ; Brain ; metabolism ; Brain Ischemia ; physiopathology ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Female ; Ischemic Postconditioning ; methods ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control

Objective To assess left ventricular(LV) longitudinal strain in patients with coronary heart disease by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2DSTI),and to explore the clinical value of 2D longitudinal strain in detecting myocardial ischemia. Methods Forty-four patients with coronary heart disease (CHD group) and 28 age-matched subjects (control group) were enrolled into this study. The two-dimensional data were obtained in apical 4-chamble, 2-chamber and long axis view. And the longitudinal strains of every segments, the average longitudinal strain of LV 18 segments (SL18), the average longitudinal strain of 12 segments (SL12,excluded the 6 apical segments) were analyzed. Results In the patients with CHD, the longitudinal strain of ischemia segments and the global LV longitudinal strain were significantly decreased than that of the control subjects. Both in patients with CHD and in control subjects,the longitudinal strains in apical segments were higher than that of middle and basal segments. There was significant difference between SL18 and SL12 ( P=0.027 in CHD group and P =0.003 in control group).Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis demonstrated that the cutoff point of SL18 to detect myocardial ischemia was - 18.8％ (sensitivity 80.2％ and specificity 74.1％ ) ,and the cutoff point of SL12 to detect myocardial ischemia was - 17.8％ ( sensitivity 81.7％ and specificity 85.6％ ). Conclusions 2D longitudinal strain was sensitive to detect myocardial ischemia, SL12 was better than SL18 in detecting myocardial ischemia. 2DSTI might be useful for identifying patients with severe CHD.

Objective To assess the left ventricular function of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and its correlation with cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and specific manifestation of electrocardiogram (ECG) by automated function imaging (AFI) of two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging.Methods Forty-six AMI patients who had AMI for the first time and had been treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention and 30 healthy controls who were age and sex-related to infarct group were involved.The values of cTnT within 24 hours after admission of AMI patients were recorded and the values of ST segment elevation were measured accurately.All the subjects were analyzed for longitudinal peak systolic strain (LPSS) values and the bull' s eyes by AFI.Results Compared to control group, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), global and infarcted LPSS of infarct group were significantly different and the values of ST elevation of infarct group were higher than those of control group.Both global,infarcted segmental LPSS were significant closely correlated to LVEF and cTnT,respectively (P＜0.001,all).Both global, infarcted segmental LPSS were correlated to ST elevation (P ＜0.05,all).Global LPSS had the closest correlation with LVEF (r = -0.565, P＜0.001) and so did infarcted LPSS with cTnT (r = 0.432, P ＜0.01).Conclusions As a procedural simple and rapid diagnostic tool,AFI provides reliable and useful information of the assessment of AMI.Both global and infarcted segmental LPSS have well described left ventricular function of AMI patients.Compared to LVEF, LPSS was more closely correlated to cTnT and ST segment elevation, which meant that LPSS was more sensitive and more closely related to real infarct size and actual involved range of AMI.

Objective To assess the correlation between time during admission to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and left ventricular function recovery of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (STI).The clinical value of STI in assessing therapeutic effect of AMI treated by PCI and estimation of the prognosis were discussed.Methods Sixty-one AMI patients who had AMI for the first time and had been treated by primary PCI were enrolled.Dynamic images were acquired before PCI,at 7 days after PCI and 30 days after PCI and analyzed by STI.The time during admission to PCI of AMI patients was recorded accurately.Dynamic images were analyzed for longitudinal peak systolic strain (LPSS) values (global,infarcted area) by STI.According to the comparison of left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) before PCI and 30 days after PCI,patients were divided into left ventricular function improved group (ΔLVEF≥5 ％) and not-improved group,and the values of LPSS and time during admission to PCI were compared between the two group respectively.Results Compared to not-improved group,the time during admission to PCI in improved group was lower ( P ＜0.001),infarcted segmental LPSS at 7 days after PCI ( P ＜0.05) and both global ( P ＜0.001) and infarcted segmental LPSS ( P ＜0.001) at 30 days after PCI in improved group were higher than those in not-improved group.Linear regression analysis showed that both global and infarcted segmental LPSS were significant correlated to LVEF respectively ( P ＜0.001,all).Infarcted segmental LPSS at 7 days after PCI were correlated to the time during admission to PCI ( P ＜0.05).LVEF ( r =0.303,P ＜0.05),global ( r =0.300,P ＜0.05)and infarcted segmental LPSS ( r =0.590,P ＜0.001) at 30 days after PCI were correlated to the time during admission to PCI.Conclusions STI provides reliable and useful clinical information for the assessment of therapeutic effect of AMI treated by PCI and estimation of the prognosis by sensitively presenting the close correlation between time during admission to PCI and left ventricular function recovery of AMI patients.

Animals ; Cognition ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Phytotherapy ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect and mechanism of baicalin on nerve tissue in rat with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

METHODSRats were randomly divided into five groups: the sham-operated group, the ICH model group, and the three baicalin treated groups treated respectively with small, medium and large doses of baicalin. ICH rat model was established by injecting collagenase VII into caudate nucleus. Baicalin was given by peritoneal injection to the baicalin treated groups, and saline was given to the other two groups once a day started from 2 h after modeling. Animals were sacrificed in batches on the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 10th day of treatment to take their brains for detecting protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) expression and cell apoptosis in brain tissue surrounding hematoma by Western blot and TUNEL method, respectively. And the water content of brain was estimated by dry-wet weight method.

RESULTSCompared with the model group, the PAR-1 expression and TUNEL-positive cells were significantly reduced in the baicalin treated groups; and brain edema was also significantly reduced (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe up-regulated PAR-1 expression after ICH in rats might play an important role in inducing cell apoptosis and brain edema. Baicalin shows significant protective effect on ICH rats, which may be related to its effects in inhibiting PAR-1 expression and decreasing apoptosis cells, so as to reduce brain edema.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; drug therapy ; Depression, Chemical ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptor, PAR-1 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect and mechanism of Naoningkang Granule (NG), a Chinese medicinal preparation formulated for clearing heat and detoxication, on brain tissue in intracerebral hemorrhagic (ICH) rats.

METHODSRats were randomly divided into 5 groups: the sham operated group, the model group and the high-, medium- and low-dose NG groups. Collagenase VII was injected into caudate nucleus to induce rat model of ICH, corresponding dosage of NG was started to give to the 3 NG groups by gastrogavage 2 h after modeling, and saline of equal volume was given to the other 2 groups instead. The brain tissue of rats was taken in batches at the 3rd and 7th day for pathomorphological observation using HE stain, and detection of thrombin receptor-1 (PAR-1) expression and nerve cell apoptosis in the peripheral tissue of hemorrhagic brain with immunohistochemistry and TUNEL assay, as well as for measurement of water content in brain tissue by wet-to-dry weight method.

RESULTSPAR-1 expression elevated in the model rats. As compared with the model group, the pathomorphological changes significantly improved, PAR-1 expression decreased, apoptotic cells re-duced and brain edema alleviated in the 3 NG groups.

CONCLUSIONOverexpression of PAR-1 in the brain tissue might mediate the nerve cell apoptosis and brain edema in ICH rats. The mechanism of NG in protecting hemor-rhagic brain tissue might be related with its actions in inhibiting the post-cerebral high PAR-1 expression to re-duce cell apoptosis and relieve brain edema.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Brain ; blood supply ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Brain Edema ; prevention & control ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neuroprotective Agents ; therapeutic use ; Phytotherapy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptor, PAR-1 ; biosynthesis

AlM: To evaluate the function of the microprobe dredging technology in the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction ( MGD ) and to provide fast, efficient, economical and practical method of treatment for meibomian gland dysfunction ( MGD) .
METHODS:The 100μm diameter stainless steel wire was made as the microprobe with the total length of 3cm, which the needle was about 5mm and hand shank was about 2. 5cm. Selected 140 cases with dry eyes of meibomian gland dysfunction ( MGD ) , patients were divided into two groups and made them have comparability. Observation group ( n = 70 ) used microprobe to dredge meibomian gland pipe accompanied with drugs, hot compress and meibomian gland massage treatment. The control group (n=70) was given conventional drugs, hot compress and meibomian massage treatment. To compare the tear break-up time ( BUT) , efficient rate and the cure rate of the two groups after treatment of 1d, 1wk, 2wk, 1 mo, 2mo and 3mo.
RESULTS: BUT were significantly prolonged in observation group and control group after treatment, and the observation group improved more obviously; the efficient rate and cure rate of the observation group were significantly higher than that of the control group after 1d, 1wk, 2wk, 1mo, 2mo and 3mo treatment.
CONCLUSlON: Using microprobe to unclog the meibomian gland tube can provide the fast and efficient, economical and practical treatment for meibomian gland dysfunction ( MGD ) , which can be promoted in the clinical practice.

Objective To assess the left ventricular dyssynchrony in coronary artery disease(CAD) without visual segmental wall motion abnormalities using strain delay index (SDI).Methods A total of 135 patients under suspicion of CAD were recruited in this study.Two-dimensional cchocardiography was performed to collect dynamic images of left ventricular apical long axis views,tow-chamber views,four chamber views and parasternal short axis mitral views,papillary views and apical views.The time to minimal systolic longitudinal,radial,circumferential strain (Tssl,Tssr and Tssc) were measured from the start point of QRS wave in electrocardiogram.The left ventricular segmental standard deviation (Tssl-SD,Tssr-SD,Tssc-SD),maximal difference (Tssl-Dif,Tssr-Dif,Tssc-Dif) and longitudinal,radial,circumferential SDI (LSDI,RSDI,CSDI) of 18 left ventricular segments were calculated.Results According to coronary angiography results,patients were divided into three groups:severe stenosis group,mild stenosis group and control group.Compared with the other two groups,SDI and Tssl-SD,Tssl-Dif were decreased in severe stenosis group (P ＜0.001 or P ＜0.05).However,there were not significant differences between the mild stenosis group and the control group except Tssr-SD.The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis demonstrated that LSDI had the highest accuracy and Tssl-SD had the lowest accuracy for detecting severe CAD (areas under the curve were 0.891,0.797,0.666,0.580 and 0.556 respectively).High sensitivity and specificity (80.6％ and 86.7％,respectively) were shown when using-12.67％ as a cutoff point of LSDI to diagnose severe CAD.Conclusions SDI can be helpful for assessing the left ventricular dyssynchrony in patients without visual segmental wall motion abnormalities,and LSDI is the most effective parameter to detecting severe CAD.

ObjectiveTo assess the clinical values of the longitudinal strain delay index(LSDI) and the delay of time in peak anterospetal wall to posterior wall strain(TAS-POST),which are analyzed by speckle tracking imaging,was discussed in the article.Methods The study included 39 patients with acute myocardial infarction,37 patients with coronary heart disease but not acute myocardial infarction which was confirmed by selective coronary angiography and 30 age-gender-related volunteers.Two-dimensional echocardiography was performed to collect dynamic images of left ventricular apical long axis view,two-chamber view,four-chamber view and parasternal short axis mitral view,papillary view and apical view.The time to minimal systolic longitudinal,radial,circumferential strain (Tssl,Tssr and Tssc) were measured from the start point of QRS wave of electrocardiogram.The left ventricular segmental standard deviation (Tssl-SD,Tssr-SD,Tssc-SD) and maximal difference (Tssl-Dif,Tssr-Dif,Tssc-Dif) were calculated.The left ventricular dyssynchrony was defined as TAS-POST≥130 ms and LSDI≥25％.ResultsThe dyssynchrony parameters in the acute myocardial infarction group were significantly increased compared to the control group ( P ＜0.001 or P ＜0.05 ).The parameters in the myocardial ischemia group were also higher than those in the control group ( P ＜0.05).Linear regression showed that LSDI was positive correlated with TAS-POST( r =0.676,P ＜0.05).In acute myocardial infarction group,LSDI was more sensitive in the detection of left ventricular dyssynchrony than TAS-POST ( P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusions Left ventricular dyssynchrony can be evaluate accurately by speckle tracking imaging.LSDI and TAS-POST are quantitative parameters for the evaluation of left ventricular dyssynchrony in coronary heart disease.