Objective To evaluate the relationship of fibrinolytic activity with hematoma enlargement in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).Methods 107 patients with ICH were divided into two distinct groups according to the change of hematoma after admission: patients with hematoma enlargement and patients without hematoma enlargement. The activity of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA:A) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI:A) in plasma were assayed by meaos of synthetic chromogenic substrate method, and the levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) antigen and D-dimer (D-D) were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The blood samples were obtained at 0～3 d, 4～9 d and 14～21 d after onset of the disease, respectively. All of the parameters were compared with healthy subjects. Results The tPA:A in ICH patient group at 0～3 d and 4～9 d after onset were significantly lower than those in control group (P

AIM: To investigate the apoptosis of endothelial cells (EC) induced by oxysterols and to examine the effect of amlodipine on the apoptosis induced by oxysterols.METHODS: Light microscope, electron microscope, DNA agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry were used to detect the apoptosis of EC.RESULTS: The characteristic morphological features of apoptosis were observed under light and electron microscope; DNA electrophoresis showed"DNA Ladder"; Flow cytometry showed the sub-G1 peak, apoptotic rate is 32.25% and 23.04% in Triol-treated and 25-OH-treated groups, respectively. While treated EC with amlodipine at the same time, the apoptotic rate decreased significantly. CONCLUSION: Both Triol and 25-OH can induce apoptosis of EC, which can be inhibited by amlodipine.

AIM: To investigate the effects of oxysterols on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) expression in vascular smooth muscle cells. METHODS: Rabbit aortic vascular smooth muscle cells were cultured in vitro and incubated with cholesterol, Triol and 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-OH), respectively. Slot blot was used to detect the mRNA expression level of TIMP-1 in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs); meanwhile the protein expression level of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 was detected by immunohistology. RESULTS: Triol and 25-OH inhibited the expression of TIMP-1 compared with control and cholesterol, but have no effect on expression of MMP-9. CONCLUSION: Both Triol and 25-OH downregulated TIMP-1 expression in VSMCs .

OBJECTIVE:To study the effects of scorpion’s proteins with different molecular weights on angiogenesis of the transgenic zebrafish. METHODS:The vascular fluorescence transgenic zebrafish models were established. Scorpion’s proteins were separated by ultrafiltration and ion exchange chromatography to obtain the scorpion protein fractions with different molecular weights (3-10 ku,>10-50 ku and>50 ku). The embryos of transgenic zebrafishes were cultured in the above 10,100 and 500 μg/ml scor-pion’s proteins. Intersegmental vessels of the transgenic zebrafishes were counted under the fluorescence microscope to optimize the most suitable scorpion’s protein molecular weight. The vessels were counted again with >50 ku scorpion protein component 1 and 2,so as to select suitable component.RESULTS:The >50 ku scorpion’s protein fraction component 1 with the mass concentration of 500 μg/ml had the highest inhibitory activity for the angiogenesis of the transgenic zebrafish,with inhibitory rate of 92.59%. CONCLUSIONS:Scorpion’s protein and its fractions have the activity of angiogenesis inhibition,which may be one of anti-cancer mechanisms of scorpion.

BACKGROUND: Resin-modified glass ionomer (RMGI) cements have higher bond strength, especially can release fluoride. But there are fewer reports of the clinical application for the prevention of decalcification.OBJECTIVE: To test the benefit from using RMGI cement instead of a conventional composite resin in bracket bonding for patients with malocclusion, and observe bracket-failure rates and decalcification on enamel surfaces at pretreatment and at debonding.DESIGN: Observational and comparative trial.SETTING: The Second Hospital Affiliated to Hebei Medical University.PARTICIPANTS: Forty successive patients (358 teeth) with malocclusion admitted to the Department of Orthodontics in the Second Hospital Affiliated to Hebei Medical University, were selected for the study from July to August in 2002. All the patients (21 females and 19 males, mean age 16 years) had normal and complete anterior teeth, good oral hygiene. There were no obvious differences in bilateral teeth. Informed consents were obtained from all the subjects. The experiment was also approved by the ethical committee of the hospital. Experimental materials were RMGI adhesive (Fuji, GC, Japan, Lot 0005111) and composite resin cement (enamel adhesive of Beijing and Tianjin, Tianjin product, Lot 020402). Brackets produced from Hangzhou 3B and 37% phosphoric acid were used.METHODS: ①Bonding brackets: Subjects selected according to random procedure were divided into two groups, each with 20. GroupⅠ: The left buccal surfaces bonded with light-cure RMGI were etching for 30 seconds with 37% phosphoric acid, rinsed with water; the right buccal surfaces bonded with composite resin cement were etching for 60 seconds with 37% phosphoric acid, rinsed with water and dried; Group Ⅱ: After etching for 30 seconds with 37% phosphoric acid, the right buccal surfaces were rinsed with water and bonded brackets with light-cure RMGI. The left buccal surfaces were bonded brackets with composite resin cement after etching for 60 seconds with 37% phosphoric acid, rinsing with water and drying; Attachment of 0.036-cm NiTi wires with ligature to the brackets was conducted 10 minutes after light-curing. The information about differences in bilateral bonding materials was not told to patients. To ensure an equal bonding materials containing fluoride and minimize the error, all the patients were instructed to use toothpaste containing fluoride, a fluoride mouthwash was not prescribed. The treatment period was 9-26 months (mean 18 months).②Patients were rechecked at intervals of 4 weeks postoperatively. Each bonded tooth was checked for loose or missing brackets, and failures were recorded. A color transparency of anterior teeth area was taken using a standardized photographic technique. The enamel surface conditions were classified at a magnification of ×10. The condition of enamel surface recorded was made according to the scoring system by Geiger before treatment and at debonding.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ①The number and site of bonding failures.②Enamel surface conditions at before treatment and debonding.RESULTS: Forty patients were all involved in the result analysis. Eliminating 4 teeth occurring bond failure and 4 teeth of opposite side at anterior teeth, a total of 232 teeth were evaluated.①The number and sit of bonding failures: There was no significant difference between the failure rates of RMGI adhesive and composite resin cement (P > 0.05). Significantly more premolar brackets failed than incisor brackets.②Decalcification of enamel surface: At debonding after treatment, the incidence rates of white spots in the surfaces bonded with the RMGI were significantly lower than that in the composite resin (25.9%, 38.8%, P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:The use of RMGI for brackets bonding results in a significant reduction in the incidence of white spot at debonding. Reducing etching time may obtain a similar survival rate with the routine etching time.

BACKGROUND: Modern neuroradiological imaging techniques such as CT, MRI, and ultrasound help clinicians idenitify the location and volume of an infarct at present. At present, a widely available and easy laboratory examination for acute cerebral infarction is absent.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the content S100-β in serum and infarct volume, and prognosis in patients with acute cerebral infarction.DESIGN: Case-control study.SETTING:Department of Neurology of Shandong Provincial Hospital of Shandong University.PARTICIPANTS: From September 2004 to August 2005, 58 patients with acute ischemic brain infarction less than 24 hours after symptom onset were hospitalized in the Department of Neurology of Shandong Provincial Hospital for evaluation and management and enrolled in case group. With the age of 36-86 years and a mean of (68±14) years. 21 were female and 37 were male. Included criteria: The diagnostic criteria was consistent with that of the Second China Cerebrovascular Disease Conference. Every patient who participated in the study underwent the examination of MRI or CT of the brain on admission, the patients were confirmed to be ones with cerebral infarction. Exclusion criteria: A history of a previous stroke and/or existing disability. 50 healthy participants in the control group were from Health Examination Center, including 32 male and 18 female aged 43-89 years and a mean of (68±9) years. Age means and gender were not significantly different between the case group and the control group (P＞0.05).METHODS:① Venous blood samples (2 mL) were drawn in case group at baseline, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 10 days after symptom onset, and the same agent of samples were drawn in control group only at baseline. Enzymelinked immunosorbent assay was used for S100-β measurement. ② Infarct volume of patient was measured by Simes Somatom sensation cardiac wizard workstation volume for CT on day 7 after symptom onset. Neurological outcome was assessed at 3 months after the onset of symptom with modified Rankin scale (MRS) score.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Level of S100-β in serum of the subject in the two groups. ② Final infarct volume of patients in case group on day 7 after symptom onset and functional outcome 3 months after symptom onset.RESULTS: 58 patients and 50 healthy control subjects were enrolled in the study. 6 patients in case group developed complete loss of brain stem reflexes and died within 2 months. The others entered the result analysis.①The level of S100-β protein: The level of S100-β protein increased gradually in the case group, peaked at day 3 [(0.61±0.13) μg/L], and decreased at day 10. The levels of S100-β in 6 days after symptom onset were significantly higher than that in control group. The level of S100-β at day 10 in the case group was similar with the control group. ② The level of serum S100-β content in patients of case group: The serum S100-β content were obviously correlated with the infarct volume at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6days after the symptom onset. S100-β value at day 3 provided the highest correlation coefficients (r=0.937, P ＜ 0.001) ③ The status of the cerebral infarction of patients after 3 months: S100-βmeasures and the MRS scores that were obtained 3 months after cerebral infarction revealed highly significant coefficients ranging by bivariate correlations (r=0.507, P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: The content S100-β in serum and infarct volume of the patients with acute cerebral infarction revealed positive correlation. The content S100-β in serum can help to calculate neurological outcome of patients after acute cerebral infarction.

Objective To investigate the clinical value of multi-slice CT angiography (MSCTA) of lower limbs in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) using the test-bolus technique.Methods Forty-four patients with PAOD were enrolled consecutively in the study.In group I, 18 subjects underwent CTA by bolus triggering method and in group 2, 26 subjects underwent CTA by test-bolus technique.During scanning procedure in group 2 subjects, the bolus transit time to aorta ( TAO ), popliteal arteries (Tpop ) and aorto-popliteal bolus transit time (T,) were calculated through dynamic acquisition at their respective level and the delay time were immediately set as TAO and scan time as double Tt.Two independent senior attending physicians with training experience in interpreting CTA determined the quality of each arterial segment visualization based on 5 parameters (1.visible farthest branch, 2.clarity of vessels border, 3.presence of venous contamination, 4.grading of stenosis, 5.CT value at 4 arterial segments).Inter-observer agreement on imaging quality between readers was evaluated using Cohen's k statistic by calculating K values.X2 test and t test were used to compare the quality of images in both groups.Results In group 2 patients,a larger individual variation in transit time of the contrast to reach aorta was obserued [ TAO = ( 17.1 ± 2.6) s with a range of 12.0—22.0 s ] and aorto-popliteal transit time [ Tt = ( 14.8 ± 5.5 ) s with a range of 8.0—24.0 s ].CTA of group 2 patients demonstrated bettor quality over group I patients' CTA, especifieally in the infra-pop|iteal and foot area arteries. There was an excellent inter-observer agreement for group 2 patients ( K ＞ 0.80 ) whereas in group 1 agreement in infra-popliteal segments for venous contamination ( K value 0.60 ) and stenosis degree ( K value 0.50 ) were not satisfactory enough.Group 1 patients were reported to have more severe stonosis in infra-popliteal and foot arteries( X2 = 30.55 and22.41,P＜0.01).Conclusion There was a wide interindividual variation in transit time for contrast medium to reach aorta and pollteal artery. Adaptive method by using two low-dose test bolus injection determined interindividual variation in delay time and scan time and thus above parameters was able to produce better quality images than using bolus triggering technique in below knee and foot region arteries.

Objective To analyze the variations of PTPS gene in patients with suspected 6-pyruvoyl-tetra hydropterin synthase deficiency (PTPSD) and to make prenatal diagnosis in high-risk families. Methods Chemiluminescence was used for phenylalanine detection in blood or dried blood spots.Patients with phenylalanine concentration over 120μmol/L were detected by urine pterin analysis, and the activity of dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR) was detected. tetrahydrobiopterin loading tests were performed in suspected patients with abnormal urinary pterin profiles. PTPS gene variation analysis was performed by direct Sanger sequencing based on PCR amplification. Prenatal diagnosis in 7 high-risk families was performed by chorionic villus sampling when the genotype was identified. Results In 656 patients with hyperphenylalanine, 22 cases were diagnosed as PTPSD clinically. 16 variations were detected in the 22 PTPSD cases. The 5 variations, p.Lys77Arg, p.Ile84Phe, c.315-2A>G, c.244-2A>T, c.187-1G>T, were identified as novel variations. Two fetuses carried the same mutation with the proband and therefore were thought to be PTPSD fetuses. Three fetuses carried only one mutant allele and thus were thought to be PTPSD carriers.

Abstract] Objective To investigate the in vivo therapeutic effects of an extract of herb medi-cines, YiGanQingDuKeLi, in combination with adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) on the rebound of duck hepatitis B virus ( DHBV) multiplication after withdrawal of ADV treatment.Methods Peking ducks were infected with DHBV positive serum samples for 7 days and then screened by SYBR Green real-time PCR.The ducks positive for DHBV were randomly divided into five groups including the model control group, the ADV treat-ment group, the herb treatment group, the high-dose combination therapy group and the low-dose combina-tion therapy group.The ducks in the ADV treatment and the herb treatment groups were respectively treated with distilled water and YiGanQingDuKeLi (1.2 g/ml) for 14 days after the treatment of ADV (0.25 mg/ml) for 21 days.The ducks in the high-dose group were treated with YiGanQingDuKeLi (1.2 g/ml) for 14 days after the combined treatment with high-dose YiGanQingDuKeLi (1.2 g/ml) and ADV (0.25 mg/ml) for 21 days.The ducks in the low-dose group were treated with YiGanQingDuKeLi (0.6 g/ml) for 14 days after the combined treatment with YiGanQingDuKeLi (0.6 g/ml) and ADV (0.125 mg/ml) for 21 days.Blood samples were collected from each duck via leg vein after 0, 7, 14 and 21 days of drug adminis-tration and after 7 and 14 days of drug withdrawal.The levels of DHBV-DNA, alanine aminotransferase ( ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase ( AST) in blood serum samples were detected.Results Compared with the model group, the levels of DHBV-DNA, ALT and AST in ducks from the herb treatment group and combined treatment groups were decreased before the discontinuation of ADV treatment ( P<0.05 or P<0.01).Moreover, the titers of DHBV-DNA in ducks treated with high doses of drugs were much lower than those from ADV treatment group.The levels of DHBV-DNA, ALT and AST in ducks treated with herb medi-cine and high doses of drugs remained at relatively low levels after the cessation of ADV treatment, but re-bounded significantly in ducks with ADV treatment.The levels of DHBV-DNA and ALT rebounded slightly in ducks treated with low doses of drugs as compared with those of ADV treatment group ( P<0.01 or P<0.05).Conclusion The treatment of YiGanQingDuKeLi in combination with ADV could inhibit not only the in vivo replication of DHBV, but also the rebound of DHBV multiplication after ADV withdrawal.

Objective To study the hemodynamic changes and pathologic foundation of rabbit models of radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) via 64-slice CT pulmonary perfusion imaging ( CTPI),in order to seek the correlation between the alterations of the hemodynamic parameters and pathophysiology.Methods Seventy-two healthy New Zealand rabbits were randomly classified into two groups:test group ( n =36),received 25 Gy with single fraction irradiation in a whole unilateral lung; control group ( n =36),received sham-irradiation.Each group was divided into 12 subgroups respectively according to post- and pseudo-irradiation time points (1,6,12,24,48,72 h and 1,2,4,8,16,24 w).Each rabbit underwent HRCT and CTPI at every pre- and post-radiation time point.All rabbits were sacrificed,and morphology of specimens was observed using light- and electron microscope. The changing regularity of HRCT,CTPI parameters and pathology were analyzed and compared with each other in order to find the correlation among them.The CTPI parameters of the test and control groups were compared using t test.The CTPI parameters and pathological values were analyzed using linear correlation with two variables,the detection rates of RILI by CTPI and HRCT was compared using Chi-square test.Results ( 1 ) The changes of CTPI parameters from control group after irradiation was relatively stable,but in test group those parameters including rBF,rBV and rPS,at pre- and post-irradiation time points (0,72 h and 2 w),were respectively 1.01 ± 0.09,1.86 ± 0.20,1.43 ±0.12,1.03 ±0.08,1.63 ±0.19,1.56±0.14,0.96±0.12,1.54 ±0.17 and 1.83 ±0.24.The corresponding parameters before and after irradiation were significantly different ( t =2.90-6.37,P ＞ 0.05).(2)In test group,capillary endothelial cells,basement membrane and alveolar epithelial cells,as the main injury targets,showed certain alterations in pathology.There was a significant correlation between the changes of CTPI parameters ( rBF and rBV) and pathophysiology in control group ( r =0.74,0.83,P ＜0.05 ),with the dependent relationship between rPS and the amounts of RBC outside the capillary and the destruction of basement membrane( r =0.87,0.88,P ＜ 0.01 ).(3)The detection rate of RILI with CTPI (72.2％,26/36) was obviously higher than that with HRCT( 16.7％,6/36,x2 =4.37,P =0.036).Conclusions CTPI parameters is capable of revealing the rule of hemodynamic process and reflecting the pathophysiologic state of different stages of RILI.By the time of detecting RILI,the detection rate of CTPI is clearly superior to that of HRCT,which yields potential value in predicting RILL