OBJECTIVESTo explore whether the angiotensin I -converting enzyme (ACE) I/D (insertion/ deletion) polymorphism is associated with the susceptibility to high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) in the Han Chinese.

METHODSOne hundred and forty-seven HAPE-p (HAPE patients) and 193 HAPE-r (HAPE resistants) were enrolled from the Yushu earthquake reconstruction workers in Qinghai province where the altitude is over 3 500 m above sea level. Blood samples were collected from each of the HAPE-p and HAPE-r groups. Information about physiological phenotypes was obtained via fieldwork investigation. The ACE-I/D polymorphism in HAPE-p and HAPE-r was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTSThe SaO2 was significantly lower while HR was significantly higher in HAPE-p group than those in HAPE-r group. The genotype frequencies of ACE-I/D for II, ID, DD in HAPE-r and HAPE-p groups were 0.430, 0.446, 0.124 and 0.435, 0.469, 0.095, respectively, the allelic frequencies of I and D were 0.650, 0.350 and 0.670, 0.330, respectively. The OR of ID, DD and D alleles relative to II for HAPE was 0.961 (0.610-1.514), 1.322 (0.634-2.758) and 1.080 (0.783-1.489). There was no significant difference of the genotypic and the allelic frequencies in ACE-I/D polymorphism between HAPE-p and HAPE-r groups.

CONCLUSIONSThere is no relation between ACE-I/D polymorphism and HAPE in the Han Chinese.

Alleles ; Altitude ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Pulmonary Edema ; genetics

Animals ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; chemistry ; cytology ; Lung ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Respiration, Artificial ; adverse effects ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; etiology ; Tidal Volume

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficiency of circumferential ablation around orifice of pulmonary vein by radiofrequency (RF) energy in the cure of chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with rheumatic valvular disease.

METHODSRadiofrequency catheter ablation was performed in 20 patients with rheumatic valvular disease and chronic AF who underwent heart valve surgery. The ablation temperature was 50 - 60 degrees C and the linear RF ablations were performed encircling the four openings of pulmonary veins and connecting the posterior mitral annulus with the probe made by ourselves especially for this ablative procedure. And amiodarone was given from the third day before the surgery and lasted for 3 months thereafter. Twenty patients with chronic AF who underwent valvular surgery but refused RF ablation were considered as the control group.

RESULTSSinus rhythm (SR) restored in 19 patients either spontaneously or after intraoperative direct current cardioversion, immediately after the operation, as compared with 16 patients in the control group. During the follow-up (24 +/- 3) months, 16 of 20 patients (80%) remained in sinus rhythm in patients received ablation, but in control group, SR was presented in only 7 of 20 patients (35%).

CONCLUSIONSCircumferential ablation around orifice of pulmonary vein by RF energy is safe and effective in restoration and maintenance of SR in patients with rheumatic valvular disease and chronic AF.

Adult ; Aged ; Amiodarone ; therapeutic use ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; therapeutic use ; Atrial Fibrillation ; etiology ; therapy ; Catheter Ablation ; Chronic Disease ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Veins ; surgery ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; complications

Adult ; Aged ; Amiodarone ; therapeutic use ; Atrial Fibrillation ; surgery ; Catheter Ablation ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Heart Valves ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Qingikailing and Shengmai injection alone or combined on the acute lung injury (AL) induced by oleic acid in rabbits.

METHODThe rabbits were randomly divided into 11 groups: oleic acid group; control group; treatment groups including low, middle and high dosage groups of Qingkailing and Shengmai injection alone and combined, respectively. ALI model was established by iv oleic acid (0.05 mL x kg(-1)) in these groups, and then iv above drugs respectively,while in control group, the same volume of normal saline was given. The respiratory amplitude and rate were observed, and blood samples were taken from cervical artery for blood-gas analysis before and at 30, 60, 120 min after oleic acid or normal saline administration. At the end of experiment, the concentration of LDH, CAT and MDA in the lung tissue were measured and pathologic changes of lung tissue were observed microscopically.

RESULTCompared with oleic acid group, the respiratory amplitude markedly enhanced (P < 0.05) in the low and high dose groups of Qingkailing and Shengmai injection. PaO2 increased significantly (P < 0.05) in the low dose group of combined Qingkailing and Shengmai injection, PaCO2 decreased markedly (P < 0.05) in the low dose groups of Qingkailing and Shengmai injection alone and combined. The level of MDA significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in the each group of Qingkailing and Shengmai injection alone, the level of MDA significantly decreased (P < 0.05) and CAT increased (P < 0.05) in the low dose group of combined Qingkailing with Shengmai injection. The low dose group of combined Qingkailing and Shengmai injection can alleviate the pathological changes induced by oleic acid.

CONCLUSIONThe curative effect of the low dose group of combined Qingkailing with Shengmai injection for the ALI induced by oleic acid was better than Qingkailing and Shengmai injection alone at the same dosage.

Animals ; Carbon Dioxide ; blood ; Catalase ; blood ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Lung ; pathology ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; Oleic Acid ; Oxygen ; blood ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Respiration ; drug effects ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; blood ; chemically induced ; pathology ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Qingkailing and Methylprednisolone (MP) injection alone or combined on the acute lung injury (ALI) induced by oleic acid in rabbits.

METHODThe rabbits were randomly divided into 11 groups: oleic acid group; control group; treatment groups including low, middle and high dosage groups of Qingkailing and MP alone and combined, respectively. ALI model was established by i.v. oleic acid (0.05 mL x kg(-1)) in these groups, and then i.v. above drugs respectively, while in control group, the same volume of normal saline was given. The respiratory amplitude and rate were observed, and blood samples were taken from cervical artery for blood-gas analysis before and at 30, 60, 120 min after oleic acid or normal saline administration. At the end of experiment, the concentration of LDH, CAT and MDA in the lung tissue were measured and pathologic changes of lung tissue were observed microscopically.

RESULTCompared with oleic acid group, the respiratory amplitude markedly enhanced (P < 0.05) and respiratory rate lowered (P < 0.05) in the low, middle and high dose groups of Qingkailing and MP injection. On the 30 min of treatment, PaO2 increased significantly (P < 0.05) in the low and middle dose groups of combined Qingkailing and MP injection; PaCO2 decreased markedly (P < 0.05) on the 120 min of treatment in each treatment group. The level of LDH significantly increased (P < 0.05), CAT and MDA decreased (P < 0.05) in the middle and high groups of Qingkailing and MP injection. The low and middle dose groups of combined Qingkailing and MP injection can alleviate the pathological changes induced by oleic acid.

CONCLUSIONThe curative effect of the low dose group of combined Qingkailing and MP for the ALI induced by oleic acid was better than Qingkailing and MP alone, while the big dose groups of Qingkailing and MP alone better than the combination at the same dosage.

Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; therapeutic use ; Blood Gas Analysis ; methods ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Lung ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Methylprednisolone ; therapeutic use ; Oleic Acid ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Respiratory Function Tests

BACKGROUNDThe N400 component of event-related potentials (ERP) has recently drawn widespread attention at home and abroad. This study was to explore the relationship between N400 changes and risperidone treatment and rehabilitation infirst-episode schizophrenia (FES).

METHODSERP component N400 was recorded by Guangzhou Runjie WJ-1 ERP instruments, in 58 FES before and 6 months, 15 months after risperidone treatment, and in 62 normal controls. The patients' syndromes were assessed by Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). And the stimuli are Chinese sentences with matching (congruent) or mismatching (incongruent) ending words.

RESULTSN400 latencies were prolonged, and amplitudes were decreased in Cz, Pz, Fz, C3, C4, in FES compared with in NC, before treatment. The prolonged N400 latencies and decreased amplitudes were negatively correlated with the patients' positive scale and total scale of PANSS. There are significant differences of N400 amplitudes and latencies in 6 months and 15 months follow-up after treatment. Before treatment, 6 months and 15 months after treatment, N400 latencies are 446 ± 35 ms, 440 ± 37 ms, 414 ± 31 ms (F = 9.72, P < 0.01) in incongruent situation; N400 amplitudes are 5.2 ± 4.6 μV, 5.7 ± 4.8 μV, 7.3 ± 5.0 μV (F = 2.06, P > 0.05) in congruent situation, and 8.5 ± 5.9 μV, 10.1 ± 5.0 μV, 11.9 ± 7.0 μV (F = 3.697, P < 0.05) in incongruent situation.

CONCLUSIONSN400 could be used to predict the effects of treatment of schizophrenia to some degree. The linguistic and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia can be improved by antipsychotic drugs.

Adult ; Evoked Potentials ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Risperidone ; therapeutic use ; Schizophrenia ; drug therapy ; rehabilitation