Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Fluorescence ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; isolation & purification ; Paraffin Embedding ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; Young Adult

Objective To study the effect of injured podocytes on glomerular maturation and its underlying mechanism in neonatal mice.Methods Single i.p.injection with puromycin aminonucleoside (PA,0.1 mg/g BW) was given to ICR neonatal mice at day 1 after birth (1 dpp). Littermates injected with normal saline (NS) were used as control.Animals were examined for urine protein,blood pressure,kidney weight/body weight (KW/BW),renal histology at 2,4,8,12, 30,60 and 90 dpp (n=6～9 for each group).Immunohistochemistry and quantitative RT-PCR were performed to examine the expression of WT-1,CD31,VEGF,Flk-1,Ang-1,Ang-2,Tie-1 and Tie-2.Results Mice with PA injection had lower kidney weight and body weight at all time points as well as lower KW/BW at 4,8,12 dpp when compared with NS controls.Electron microscopy revealed nearly complete foot process effacement and segmental microvillous transformation as early as 1 day after PA injection.PA-injected kidneys showed fewer capillary loops and decreased maturation index as well as less CD31-positive endothelium in cortical glomeruli at 12 dpp. Glomerular mesangial injury and developing glomerulosclerosis along with proteinuria were noted in PA-injected kidneys starting from 30 dpp.Significantly increased systolic blood pressure was detected at 60 dpp in PA mice.Compared with NS injection,PA injection significantly induced decreased mRNA expression of Flk-1 and Tie-2 as well as increased expression of Ang-1,without obvious changes of VEGF at 2 dpp.Conclusions Podocytes in neonatal kidney of ICR mice are susceptible to PA. Such podocyte injury can alter the expression of VEGF and angiopoietin system in glomeruli,leading to abnormal development of glomerular capillaries,and subsequent proteinuria,hypertension and glomerulosclerosis.

Objective To study the mode and clinical implications of onset of spontaneous tosade de pointes in the congenital long QT syndrome. Methods We reviewed electrocardiograms (ECGs) of 55 patients with congenital QT syndrome for syncope. Documentation of the onset of tosade de pointes was available for 16 patients. All these patients had "definitive long QT syndrome" by accepted clinical and ECG criteria. Results One hundren and forty-nine runs of tosade de pointes were documented in 16 patients,of whom,there were 130 runs of pause-dependent tosade de pointes. Conclusion Our results show that the pause-dependent tosade de pointes,which has been recognized as a hallmark of tosade de pointes in the acquired long QT syndrome,plays a major role in the genesis of tosade de pointes in the congenital long QT syndrome.

OBJECTIVETo improve the X-ray diagnosis of cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type (VCS).

METHODSA blinded design research. The X-ray signs both 60 patients with VCS and 60 patients with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy were collected from January 2011 to November 2012. There were 36 males and 84 females, aged from 25 to 65 years old with an average of (48.4 ± 12.3) years old. Cervical curvature, atlanto-occipital joint angle, atlanto-axial joint angle, C2/C3 joint angle and lower cervical instability condition and segmental distribution were measured and recorded by X-rays. These data were analyzed and compared between the two groups after unblended. Combined with clinical manifestations,the X-ray imaging features of VCS were further analyzed.

RESULTSThere was significant difference in cervical curvature between two groups in anteflexion X-ray films (P < 0.05). There was significant difference in extension degree of atlanto-occipital joint angle between two groups (P < 0.01). There was significant difference in atlanto-axial joint angle between two groups in lateral X-ray films (P< 0.05). There was significant.difference in anteflexion degree of atlanto-axial joint angle between two groups (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in C2/C3 joint angle between two groups. There was no significant difference in the lower cervical instability condition and segmental distribution between two groups. In VCS group, the mild and moderate dizziness was main symptom, flexion and extension activities of neck was most common cause in the dizziness; and always accompanied with headache; tenderness mostly concentrated in the upper cervical area.

CONCLUSIONBoth X-ray signs and clinical manifestations can prompt the abnormalities of the upper cervical structure or function in patients with VCS. Anteflexion activities of neck observed by functional position of X-ray films should be emphasized in diagnosis of VCS.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiculopathy ; diagnostic imaging ; Radiography ; Spondylosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Vertebral Artery ; X-Rays

BACKGROUNDCellular cardiomyoplasty by transplantation of various cell types has been investigated as potential treatments for the improvement of cardiac function after myocardial injury. A major barrier for the clinical application of cell transplantation is obtaining sufficiently large quantities of suitable cells. Allogeneic cellular cardiomyoplasty may provide an alternative source of abundant, transplantable, myogenic cells by in vitro manipulation of cardiac fibroblasts using chemicals including 5-azacytidine. This study evaluated cardiomyogenic differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts, their survival in myocardial scar tissue, and the effect of the implanted cells on heart function.

METHODSPrimary cardiac fibroblasts from neonatal rats were treated with 5-azacytidine (10 µmol/L) or control. Treatment of 5-azacytidine caused myogenic differentiation of cultured cardiac fibroblasts, as defined by elongation and fusion into multinucleated myotubes with sarcomeric structures as identified by electron microscopy, and positive immunostaining for cardiac specific proteins, troponin I and β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) and the gap junction protein connexin 43. The myogenic cells (1.0 × 10⁶) were transplanted into the infarcted myocardium 2 weeks after coronary artery occlusion.

RESULTSBy 1 month after transplantation, the converted fibroblasts gave rise to a cluster of cardiac-like muscle cells that in the hearts occupied a large part of the scar with positive immunostaining for the myogenic proteins troponin I and β-MHC. Engrafted cells also expressed the gap junction protein connexin 43 in a disorganized manner. There was no positive staining in the control hearts treated with injections of culture medium. Heart function was evaluated at 6 weeks after myocardial injury with echocardiographic and hemodynamic measurements. Improvement in cardiac function was seen in the hearts transplanted with the 5-azacytidine-treated cardiac fibroblasts which was absent in the hearts treated with control.

CONCLUSIONThe 5-azacytidine has a unique capacity to induce myogenesis in cardiac fibroblasts in vitro and transplantation of cardiac-like muscle cells into ventricular scar tissue improves myocardial function.

Animals ; Azacitidine ; therapeutic use ; Cells, Cultured ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; transplantation ; ultrastructure ; Immunohistochemistry ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Myocardial Infarction ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of TSC1, TSC2, p-mTOR, p-4E-BP1, p-p70S6K and p-S6 in refractory epilepsy associated malformation of cortical development (MCD) tissues.

METHODSA total of 43 cases of refractory epilepsy were involved in the study, and all the patients were treated in Xuanwu Hospital during 2005 - 2008, including focal cortical dysplasia type IIa (11 cases) and type IIb (11 cases), tuberous sclerosis complex (10 cases) and ganalioglioma (11 cases), and other 12 cases were used as control. These cases were divided into 7 study groups and immunohistochemical EnVision method was used. To detect the location and intensity of TSC1, TSC2, p-mTOR, p-4E-BP1, p-p70S6K and p-S6 expression in every group. Then the Image-Pro Plus 6.0 image processing and analysis software were used to measure the number, area, integrating absorbance (IA) of positive cells in every samples. The statistical software SPSS 16.0 was used to analyze the data.

RESULTSThe immunolocalization of TSC1 and TSC2 was similar. It could be observed the expression of various levels in the cytoplasm of dysmorphic neurons, balloon cells, giant cells, ganglioglioma cells and normal neurons. TSC1 staining in normal neurons was more notably than others but TSC2 staining in giant cells was weaker than other samples. p-mTOR mainly presented in giant cells, which could also be observed in astrocyte. P-4E-BP1 presented in the cytoplasm and nuclear membrane of balloon cells, giant cells and ganglioglioma cells, the staining of giant cells was stronger than balloon cells, but their staining were weaker than ganglioglioma cells. P-p70S6K mainly expressed in giant cells and less commonly presented in balloon cells. P-S6 typically presented in all abnormal glioneuronal cells and it nearly did not present in the normal neurons of N-CTX group.

CONCLUSIONSPI3K pathway, at least in part, involves in the occurrence of MCD, and may play an important role in the pathogenesis.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; metabolism ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Epilepsy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Ganglioglioma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Malformations of Cortical Development ; metabolism ; pathology ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; metabolism ; Phosphoproteins ; metabolism ; Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases ; metabolism ; Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases ; metabolism ; Tuberous Sclerosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; metabolism ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVESince the advent in 2004 of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Liaoning, a dramatic improvement had been seen in the number of patients attaining undetectable viral loads (92/104), but the extent of mutation diversity on human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and the prevalence of drug resistance had remained elusive. This study aimed to analyze both HIV-1 mutation profiles and prevalence related to antiretroviral resistance following therapeutic failure.

METHODSA total of 104 blood samples circling Liaoning from HAART-treated between 2004 and 2008 were studied. Patients' CD(4)(+) T-cell count and viral load were determined. HIV-1 pol (PR and part of RT) gene fragments were amplified from patients' plasma by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and nest-PCR, subsequently sequenced and analyzed.

RESULTSCD(4)(+) T cell numbers and viral replication capacity were assessed. 88.4% (92/104) of the patients were successful after initial non-suppressive NRTI & NNRTI-based HAART regimens. Subjects on non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) regimens developed more (6/104) drug-resistance mutations than those on nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) regimens did (5/104). No protease-inhibitor (PI) drug resistance mutations developed. The whole rate of drug resistance mutations was about 6.73%. Subjects developing NNRTI-resistance (NNRTI-R) seemed more likely to develop drug-resistant viremia than with NRTI-based HAART.

CONCLUSIONThis finding might have implications in which that the prevalence of drug-resistance mutations was low but remained risk of transmission in HIV-infected therapeutic failure. Meanwhile, data from the present study showed that there was a high frequency of primary mutations, which offered resistance to nrti and nnrti. Monitoring patients with treatment failure seems an important tool in helping the physicians to improve their treatment schedule and to carry out epidemiological surveillance programs.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; virology ; China ; epidemiology ; Drug Resistance, Viral ; genetics ; HIV-1 ; drug effects ; genetics ; Humans ; Molecular Epidemiology ; RNA, Viral ; genetics ; Viral Load

OBJECTIVETo investigate clinical results of AO clavicular hook plate for the treatment of fresh Tossy type III acromioclavicular joint dislocation.

METHODSFrom December 2006 to December 2008, 28 patients with fresh Tossy type III acromioclavicular joint dislocation were treated with AO clavicular hook plates. There were 23 males and 5 females. The average age at surgery were 46.4 years (ranged, 22 to 68 years). The average time from suffering injuries to the operation was 3.9 days(ranged, 1 to 21 days). And the average time from the operation to plate removal was 9.4 months(ranged, 6 to 22 months).

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up, the duration ranged from 6 to 24 months, with an average of 15 months. There was 1 patient with traumatic arthritis, 1 patient with plate fracture. And the others had good results without fracture and re-dislocation after operation. According to Karlsson standards, 21 patients got an excellent result, 6 good and 1 poor. Eight patients had pain and restricted activities in shoulder joints before the plate removal, and all the symptoms were catabatic after removing the clavicular hook plates. After exercise, the function of the shoulder joints achieved normal level.

CONCLUSIONClavicular hook plate used for the fresh Tossy type III acromioclavicular joint dislocation has advantages such as simple operation, little wound, less blood loss and early exercises.

Acromioclavicular Joint ; diagnostic imaging ; injuries ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Bone Plates ; Clavicle ; surgery ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; instrumentation ; Humans ; Joint Dislocations ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect and the mechanism of Danhong Injection (DI), Ligustrazine Injection (LI), and adsorbable biomembranes in preventing the adhesion of tendons and tissues.

METHODSTotally 120 patients all suffering from simple flexor digitorum tendon rupture on the hand zone two damaged by sharp weapons were randomly assigned to Group A (Dikang adsorbable biomembrane), Group B (Tianxinfu adsorbable biomembrane), Group C (Tianxinfu adsorbable biomembrane + Ligustrazine group), and Group D (Tianxinfu adsorbable biomembrane + DI group) in accordance with random digit table, 30 cases in each group. Indicators such as total active movement (TAM) of the hand tendon, Minnesota manual dexterity test (MMDT), and finger flex strength test (FFST) were observed.

RESULTSThe TAM and the favorable rate were higher in Group C and D than in Group A and B at post-operative 4 and 8 week (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). There was no statistical difference between Group C and D (P > 0.05). Each index of MMDT was lower in Group C and D than in Group A and B (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in FFST among all the 4 groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCombined application of LI or DI with Tianxinfu adsorbable biomembranes could effectively prevent the adhesion of tendons. DI showed equivalent effect as LI did. Besides, the combined application was superior in preventing adhesion to using Xintianfu adsorbable biomembrane or Dikan adsorbable biomembrane alone.

Absorbable Implants ; Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Membranes, Artificial ; Middle Aged ; Musculoskeletal Diseases ; prevention & control ; Pyrazines ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Tendon Injuries ; surgery ; Tissue Adhesions ; prevention & control ; Wound Healing

OBJECTIVETo verify the efficacy of Jianpi-xingniao needling therapy on prevention and treatment of motion sickness.

METHODSSixty volunteers of motion sickness were randomized into an acupuncture group and a delayed acupuncture group, 30 cases in each one. In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was given at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Neiguan (PC 6), Zusanli (ST 36) and Hegu (LI 4). The needles were retained for 20 min. The treatment was given twice a week and 10 treatments were required. In the delayed acupuncture group, acupuncture was postponed, meaning no acupuncture during observation stage. Graybel scale was adopted to observe the score of symptoms and physical signs of the subjects of motion sickness before and after intervention. The efficacy was compared between the two groups.

RESULTSTwenty-five cases in the acupuncture group and 22 cases in the delayed acupuncture group were included in the statistical analysis. The score of symptoms and physical signs of motion sickness was reduced significantly after treatment in the acupuncture group as compared with that before treatment (10.12 +/- 3.37 vs 0.92 +/- 0.40, P < 0.05). The score in the acupuncture group was lower apparently than that in the delayed acupuncture group (0.92 +/- 0.40 vs 9.86 +/- 2.53, P < 0.05). The difference was not significant before and after treatment in the self-comparison of the delayed acupuncture group (P > 0.05). The total effective rate was 96.0% (24/25) in the acupuncture group, which was significantly better than 0.0% (0/22) in the delayed acupuncture group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONJianpixingniao needling therapy relieves the symptoms of motion sickness in the patients and achieves a better clinical efficacy.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Motion Sickness ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult