Objective:To investigate the expression change of voltage-gated calcium channels(VGCC) in the facial nucleus motoneurons of adult rats after facial nerve injury.Methods:The facial motor nucleus was localized by retrograde labeling with a fluorescent dye,Dil,and identified by Nissl staining.The facial nerve injury model was established by amputation of the main trunk of left facial nerve.Exposure of the right facial nerve without nerve transection was used as the control.Rats were sacrificed at 3,7,14 and 28 days after injury respectively(n =10),the brainstem containing facial nucleus were collected,the expression of P/Q,N,L,R-type calcium channel α1A,α1B,α1C and α1E subunits was examined by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results:Immunohistochemistry results show that whereas α1A,α1E subunits levels did not vary compared with control group 3,7,14,28 days after injury(P ＞0.05),α1B and α1C subunits immunoreactivity decreased in the motoneurons after injury,a sharp decrease was detected at 14 days after injury(P ＜ 0.01),thereafter returned to the control level at 28 days after axotomy(P ＞0.05).The expression of α1B and α1C mRNA was down-regulated,especially 14 days after the injury(P ＜0.01),and then recovered to normal level at 28 days (P ＞ 0.05).In addition,there was no significant difference of α1A and α1E subunits and their correspoding mRNA between operated group and control group at all time points(P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion:VGCC is involved in facial nerve injury and down-regulation of N-type and L-type calcium channels may be one of the role.

Objective To evaluate the standardized drug treatment and its influence factors of patients,with coronary artery disease,in hospital and one year after discharge.Methods The study enrolled sequentially 165 patients who were firstly diagnosed of coronary artery disease,61 cases with stable angina,67 cases with unstable angi-na and 37 cases of acute myocardial infarction,by coronary artery angiography from 2010 to 2012.The standardized drug treatment and its influence factors of patients were analyzed at hospital and 1 year after discharge in the present study.Results Fifty five percent patients with coronary artery disease at hospital regularly took the four drugs,anti-platelet agents,statins,beta blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor antagonist. The ratio decreased to forty five percent one year after discharge(χ2 =81.04,P <0.01).The reasons of the irregular medication taken were optional withdrawal(61%),following the doctors′advice(15%),economic hardship(20%) and the drugs′adverse reaction(4%).Conclusion The results of the present study showed that the rate of regular medication in patients with coronary artery disease is low in hospital and 1 year after discharge.The major reasons of the irregular medicine taken were the patients′optional withdrawal and the consciousness of second prevention was lack in doctors in our hospital.Therefore,the increase of the consciousness of regular standardized treatment in prima-ry care physicians and strengthen the management of the patients after discharge form hospital.

Objective:To explore the relationship between big endothelin-1 (big ET-1) and cardiac remodeling in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM).
Methods:A total of 167 consecutive HOCM patients admitted in our hospital from 2015-01 to 2016-05 were enrolled. Blood levels of big ET-1 and NT-proBNP were measured;electrocardiogram(ECG), dynamicECG,echocardiography (UCG) and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) were examined for relevant statistical analysis.
Results:In all 167 HOCM patients, blood level of Big ET-1 was positively related to NT pro-BNP (r=0.35, P=0.000), left atrial (LA) diameter (r=0.169, P=0.019) and heart rate (r=0.141, P=0.037);negatively related to hemoglobin (r=-0.173, P=0.013) and the ratio of interventricular septum (IVS)/posterior wall of left ventricle (r=-0.165, P=0.017). Based on the finding of positive correlation between Big ET-1 and LA diameter, the patients were divided into 2 groups:Normal LA group, n=74 and Enlarged LA group, n=93. Compared with Normal LA group,Enlarged LA group had the higher blood level of Big ET-1 (P=0.001);increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) (P=0.024), thicker IVS (P=0.003), lower LVEF (P=0.001);enlarged LVED volume (P=0.002) and IVS (P=0.002);elevated ratio of atrial fibrillation(AF);more patients with moderate to severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and NYHA functional classIII/IV.
Conclusion: Blood level of Big ET-1 was positively related to NT pro-BNP and LA diameter in HOCM patients;the patients with enlarged LA had increased Big ET-1, more obvious cardiac remodeling and the higher incidence of AF occurrence which implied that Big ET-1 might play the role in cardiac remodeling in HOCM patients.

Objective: Heart failure (HF) patients are usually associated with liver function impairment, Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) scores can evaluate liver function, but its effect in HF patients has been unclear. We want to study the application of CTP scores in predicting the risk of death for in-hospital HF patients. Methods: A total of 1180 consecutive in-hospital HF patients were enrolled. According to CTP scores evaluated liver function at admission, the patients were divided into 3 groups: CTP grade A group, n=951, CTP grade B group, n=206 and CTP grade C group, n=23. The endpoint of this study was all-cause death. Results: There were 180 patients died at 1 year follow-up period, the in-hospital and 1 year mortalities were increased with the elevated CTP grades accordingly: for in-hospital mortalities in CTP grade A, B and C groups were (0.8%, 11.7% and 56.5%) respectively, P< 0.001; for 1 year mortalities were (9.6%, 34.5% and 78.3%) respectively, P< 0.001. Multivariable Cox regression analyses indicated that the higher CTP grades, the higher risk of in-hospital and 1 year mortalities in HF patients. The area under curve for CTP scores in predicting the in-hospital and 1 year mortalities were 0.88 and 0.74 respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis presented that the patients with improved CTP scores from grade B or C to grade A at discharge had the higher 1 year survival rate than those without improvement, P=0.028.
Conclusion: CTP scores may independently predict the risk of death for in-hospital HF patients, the levels of CTP scores might be used for evaluating the efficacy of in-hospital treatment.

Objective: To observe the morphological changes of root canals in maxillary second premolars at various ages by using cone-beam CT (CBCT) in order to provide imaging and theoretical reference for clinical treatments. Methods: The digital CBCT data of the maxillary second premolars in 440 cases from the patients in Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University during March 2011 and December 2017 were collected. The CBCT images were divided into 4 groups according to the patients′ ages: groups ≤20, 21-40, 41-60 and>60 years old, respectively. Changes of morphologies of root canals with aging including such parameters as types of the root canal, incidence of double root canals in single rooted teeth, distance between both root canal orifices of double rooted canals, and morphological change of the cross section of roots. Chi-square test and liner trend test were adopted in statistical analysis in the present study. Results: Most maxillary second premolars had only one root [95.2% (419/440)]. Type Ⅰ of the root canals was the most common type [57.3% (252/440)], and the following prevalent groups were type Ⅱ[16.8% (74/440)], type Ⅳ [10.2% (45/440)] and type Ⅲ [8.9% (39/440)]. The distribution of type Ⅰ~Ⅳ of the root canals were significantly different amongst various aged groups (P<0.05). Along with aging, the percentages of type Ⅰ decreased while type Ⅱ increased. However, there were no remarkable changes of type Ⅲ and type Ⅳ observed. The incidence of double canal in single rooted teeth gradually increased with aging especially in 20-year-old and above groups, e.g. 13.1% (13/99) in group of ≤20 years old and 45.0% (86/191) in group of 21-40 years old. However, there was no significant increase observed after the age of 40. The distance between two root canal orifices of double rooted canals became shorter with aging except in groups of 40-year-old and above. The morphologies of the cross sections of root canals in most groups were flat shaped [57.8% (1 121/1 938)] and oval shape [31.3% (607/1 938)]. Along with aging, the percentage of circular shape gradually increased while flat and oval shapes decreased. Conclusions The morphology of root canal could be clearly showed by the CBCT images. Most maxillary second premolars had only one root and one apical foramen. Along with aging, the morphology of the root canals became more and more complicated.