ObjectiveTo investigate the value of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at high b value for unilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusive disease in patients without obvious infarct lesions on conventional MR imaging.MethodsDTI at high b value (2200 s/mm2 ) was performed using a 3.0 Tesla MR scanner in 34 patients with unilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion,who had no obvious infarct lesions on conventional MR imaging. Fractional anisotropy (FA),apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC),axial diffusivity (eigenvalue λ1) and radial diffusivity (eigenvalues λ2,λ3) were measured at the ipsilateral and contralateral corona radiata,anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule,cerebral peduncle and pons in all subjects.Mean ADC,FA,λ1,λ2 and λ3 values of corona radiata,anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule,cerebral peduncle and pons were compared between the ipsilateral and contralateral MCAterritory by t test. Results Among the 34 patients,left MCA occlusion in M1 segment occurred in 16 patients and right MCA occlusion in Ml segment occurred in 18 patients.At the ipsilateral corona radiata,mean FA,ADC,λ1,λ2 and λ3 were 0.419 ±0.032,(5.975 ±0.272) × 10 3,(5.704 ±0.365) ×10-3,(6.412 ±0.368) × 10-3 and (6.605 ±0.343) × 10-3 mm2/s,respectively.At the contralateral corona radiata,mean FA,ADC,λ1,λ2 and λ3 were 0.443 ± 0.033,(5.804 ± 0.282) × 10 -3,(5.651 ±0.350) × 10-3,(6.099 ±0.353) × 10-3 and(6.372 ±0.355) × 10-3 mm2/s,respectively.At the ipsilateral corona radiata,mean FA was significantly decreased(t =11.614,P ＜0.01),and mean ADC (t=12.421,P＜0.01),λ1(t =7.447,P＜0.01),λ2(t=10.244,P＜0.01) and λ3(t=9.890,P＜0.01) were significantly increased.At the ipsilateral anterior and posterior limb of the internal capsule,mean FA were 0.609 ±0.026 and 0.674 ±0.033,λ1 were(5.330 ±0.462) × 10 -3 and(5.171 ±0.456) ×10-3 mm2/s,respectively.At the contralateral anterior and posterior limb of the internal capsule,FA were 0.622 ±0.026 and 0.694 ±0.034,λ1 were(5.064 ± 0.448) × 10 -3 and(4.924 ± 0.365) × 10 -3 mm2/s,respectively.Mean FA was significantly decreased (t =7.823,8.013,all P ＜ 0.01) and mean λ1 was significantly increased (t =7.811,8.800,all P ＜0.01) at the ipsilateral anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule.There was no significant difference in ADC,λ2 and λ3 value between the ipsilateral and contralateral sides.And all the DTI parameters,including mean ADC,FA,λ1,λ2 and λ3 values,showed no statistical difference between both sides of cerebral peduncle and pons.ConclusionDTI at high b valuc can provide useful information for visualizing ischemic white matter injury in patients without obvious infarct lesions on conventional MR imaging.

Alveolar Epithelial Cells ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lung Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mucin-1 ; metabolism ; Nuclear Proteins ; metabolism ; Radiography ; Thyroid Nuclear Factor 1 ; Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; Tuberous Sclerosis ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; pathology

Objective To screen serum proteomic marker of hepatic echinococcosis, establish a diagnotic model of serum protein fingerprint patterns, and evaluate its clinical application for hepatic echinococcosis. Methods Serum samples from 68 patients with hepatic echinococcosis matched with 73 controls composed of 33 patients with liver diseases other than hepatic echinococcosis and 40 healthy people were collected. All subjects were divided into training group (37) and testing group (67). Serum protein profiling of patients with hepatic echinococcosis and controls were detected using surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry(SELDI-TOF-MS) and weak cation exchange protein chip(WCX2). Peak intensities were compared, in the training group, between 37 patients with hepatic echinococcosis and 37 controls, 5 patients with HCE and 5 patients with HAE, and 8 patients with hepatic echinococcosis before and after operation, respectively. ZJU-Protein Chip Data Analyze System(ZJU-PDAS) was used for data analysis and the model of serum protein fingerprint patterns was build by support vector machine (SVM). The sensitivity and specificity of the model for diagnosis of hepatic echinococcosis were verified by blind method on samples of testing group. Results There were nine different protein peak spectra between hepatic echinococcosis group and control group, of which eight protein peak spectra decreased in patient group, their relative molecular mass were 1044, 1047, 1073, 1075, 1338, 6453, 6649, 8714 m/z, respectively, while one protein peak spectrum(5651 m/z) increased(P < 0.05). The sensitivity,specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive value of the model validated by blind method were 77.4% (24/31), 66.7% (24/36), respectively. There were two different protein peak spectra between HCE group and HAE group, Their relative molecule mass were 8716 and 2751 m/z, respectively (P < 0.05). Six different proteins were detected from pre-operation group and post-operation group. Their relative molecular mass were 1297, 1505, 1525, 1534, 5921, 5941 m/z, respectively(P < 0.05). Conclusions It is a successful way to screen serum proteomic marker in patients with hepatic echinococcosis by SELDI-TOF-MS and Bio-informatics, and the marker has a potential clinical value in diagnosis and judging prognosis of hepatic echinococcosis.

Percutaneous coronary intervention has been the main effective method for coronary heart disease recently, but the post-operative complications became the main factors to limit its curative effect. Considering the understanding on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes of post-interventional therapy and the advance of pharmaceutical research we suggest that evolution law of TCM syndrome types should be hold intensively and practical therapies and formulae should be established under the guidance of TCM basic theory.
Animals ; Coronary Disease ; drug therapy ; surgery ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Postoperative Complications ; drug therapy ; etiology ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo explore nm23 gene mRNA expression and its clinical significance in acute leukemias (AML).

METHODSThe levels of nm23-H1 and nm23-H2 transcripts in 22 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 9 AML in complete remission (AML-CR), 12 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 4 chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (CML-CP) were assayed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSThe expression of nm23-H1 in AL especially in AML-M4 and AML-M5 was significantly higher than that in normal blood cells. An analysis of correlation between nm23 expression and clinicopathological parameters showed that increased nm23-H1 mRNA levels were associated with some poor-prognostic factors such as extramedullary infiltration, high white blood cell count (WBC), high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and high CD(7) expression, while inversely correlated with t(8; 21) and t(15; 17) which had a good-prognostic effect. The expression of nm23-H1 in AML patients in CR was significantly decreased compared with those untreated.

CONCLUSIONnm23-H1 was overexpressed in AL, especially in AML-M4 and AML-M5. High expression of nm23-H1 may be a poor prognostic factor.

Adult ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases ; Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Aluminum ; adverse effects ; Female ; Granuloma ; etiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Lung Diseases ; etiology ; therapy ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Diseases ; etiology ; therapy ; Sarcoidosis ; etiology ; therapy

Cysts ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology

BACKGROUNDEndothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been used in both experimental studies and clinical treatments of limb ischemia, as well as in the construction of engineered vascular tissue. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of transplanted bone marrow-derived EPCs on the vein microenvironment in a rat model of chronic vein thrombosis.

METHODSMononuclear cells were isolated from the bone marrow of immature rats by density gradient centrifugation, cultured, and then transplanted into experimentally induced thrombi into inferior vena cava through the femoral vein. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietin-1 (ANG-1) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) mRNA and protein expression levels were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting of thrombi and adjacent caval walls 28 days post-transplantation.

RESULTSLevels of VEGF, ANG-1, and MCP-1 mRNA in EPC-transplanted thrombi were 100%, 230.7%, and 212.5% of levels detected in the sham-operated group (P < 0.01), and 99.9%, 215.4%, and 177.8% of levels detected in the experimental control group (P < 0.01). VEGF, ANG-1 and MCP-1 protein levels exhibited a similar trend.

CONCLUSIONSTransplanted bone marrow-derived EPCs appear to alter the vein microenvironment in experimentally induced chronic vein thrombosis by upregulating cytokines associated with thrombic organization and recanalization.

Angiopoietin-1 ; analysis ; genetics ; Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Chemokine CCL2 ; analysis ; genetics ; Chronic Disease ; Disease Models, Animal ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Immunohistochemistry ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; analysis ; genetics ; Venous Thrombosis ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Spatholobus suberectus on proliferation and the hematonic mechanism.

METHODThe techniques of culture of hematopoietic cell and hematopoietic growth factor (HGF) assay were used.

RESULTSpatholobus suberectus could obviously promote the proliferation of bone marrow cells in healthy and anaemic mice. The culture media of spleen cell, macrophage, lung and skeletal muscle treated with S. suberectus had much stronger stimulating effects on hematopoietic cells.

CONCLUSIONS. suberectus may enhance hematopoiesis by directly or indirectly stimulating stroma cell in hematopoietic inductive microenvironment and muscle tissue to secrete some HGF (Epo, GM-CSF, IL, and MK-CSF). This is one of the biological mechanisms for hematonic effect of S. suberectus.

Anemia ; pathology ; Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Colony-Stimulating Factors ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Fabaceae ; chemistry ; Female ; Male ; Mice ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Naohuandan (NHD) in treating senile dementia (SD).

METHODSClinical study: Fifty-eight patients with SD, whose diagnosis conforms to the Diagnostic Standard of DSM-IV issued by American Association of Psychiatry, were enrolled and randomly assigned into two groups. The 30 patients in the treated group were treated with NHD, 4 capsules each time, 3 times daily. The 28 patients in the control group were treated with Piracetam, 1.6 g each time, 3 times daily. The therapeutic course for both groups was 3 months. The therapeutic efficacy was estimated and compared by comprehensive scores of memory and cognition, scores of Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Experimental study: Rats were divided into the control group, the model group and the high-dosage and low-dosage NHD treated groups. The protective effect of NHD on the per-oxidative damage of hippocampal neurons in beta-amyloid protein induced SD model was observed and the related criteria were determined.

RESULTSClinical study showed that both NHD and Piracetam could improve the clinical symptoms of patients, the two medicines showing insignificant difference in total effective rate. But NHD was better in elevating MMSE score and lowering ADL score in patients than Piracetam (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Experimental study showed that (1) 24 and 72 hrs after modeling, the activity of SOD and GSH were lower and the level of MDA higher in the model group than those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Compared with the model group at the corresponding time points, in the high-dosage NHD group, SOD and GSH were higher, MDA was lower (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); but in the low-dosage NHD group, SOD at the 72nd hr was higher (P < 0.05) and MDA at 24th and 72nd hrs was lower (P < 0.01). And most of the criteria in the high-dosage NHD group was improved better than that in the low-dosage NHD group. (2) The survival rates of neurons in various groups were not different significantly (P > 0.05) 24 hrs after modeling, but that in the high-dosage NHD group was significantly higher than that in the model group (P < 0.01) and in the low-dosage NHD group 72 hrs after modeling (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNHD is an effective Chinese herbal preparation for treatment of SD, and its mechanism is related with its inhibition on peroxidative injury and protection on neurons.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alzheimer Disease ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Glutathione ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; Humans ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Neurons ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism