AIM: To observe the supplementation action of the crude and processed Epimedium Sapittatum Maxim. METHODS: The effects of different extracts of Epimedium Sagittatum Maxim. on the castrated mice were observed. RESULTS: The aqueous and alcohol extracts of the crude and processed Epimedium Sagittatum maxim. showed same marked inhibition on atrophy of castrated mice. CONCLUSION: The crude and processed Epimedium Sagittatum maxim. both have the supplementation action and show no marked difference in action.

Objective To explore the changes of plasma redox status in patients with coronary heart disease and its clinical implications. Methods One hundred and forty-four patients suspected with coronary heart disease were divided into three groups according to the results of coronary arteriography. Coronary heart disease group (n= 59, group A), coronary atherosclerosis group (n=53, group B), and normal coronary group (n=32, group C). The plasma glutathione (reduced form GSH and oxidized form GSSG) ,oxidized low density hpoprotein cholesterol(ox-LDL-C) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in all patients. The GSH/GSSG redox potential were calculat-ed according to Nernst equation,and their correlation with the severity of coronary artery stenosis and oxLDL-C was analyzed. Results Along with the severity of coronary artery stenosis (from Group C to Group A), GSH, GSH/ GSSG gradually reduced (respectively (321.27±56.80)μmol/L, (309.52±44.97) μmol/L, ( 285.71±38.38) μmol/L;10.56±1.70,9.86±1.58,8.65±1.18 ;F=29.49 and 26.18,P<0.05), whereas GSH/GSSG redox po-tential gradually increased ( (- 142.23±1.35) mV, (-140.41±1.13) mV, (-136.61±1.21 ) mV;F =20.69,P <0.05 )) and redox status deviated to oxidization. The products of oxidative stress oxLDL-C and MDA also increased significantly along with the severity of coronary artery stenosis (respectively (417.24±126.64 ) μg/L, (557.45±171.85) μg/L, (691.96±203, 56 ) μg/L;(2.39±1.24) μmol/L, (3.25±1.37 ) μmol/L, (4.39± 1.52) μmol/L;F=26.28 and 25.39,P<0.05). GSH/GSSG redox potential was positively correlated with oxLDL-C (r=0.798,P<0.05). Conclusions The imbalance of plasma redox status and deviating to oxidization may be closely related with the development and progress of atherosclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of Xuezhikang Capsules (ZXKC) and probucol on blood lipids, vascular endothelial functions and redox status in patients with coronary heart disease. METHODS: One hundred and twelve patients with coronary heart disease were randomly divided into XZKC-treated group and probucol-treated group, 56 in each. Before and after 8-week treatment, the blood levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were all measured in both groups. The GSH/GSSG redox potential (Eh) was calculated according to the Nernst equation. RESULTS: In the XZKC-treated group, the blood levels of TC, LDL-C and TG were significantly decreased after 8-week treatment as compared with those before treatment. The blood levels of TC and LDL-C were also significantly decreased in the probucol-treated group as compared with those before treatment. In the XZKC-treated group, the blood levels of ET-1 and GSSG and the GSH/GSSG Eh after treatment were all significantly lower than those before treatment, whereas the blood levels of GSH and NO, the NO/ET-1 ratio, and the GSH/GSSG ratio after treatment were all significantly higher than those before treatment. CONCLUSION: The XZKC or probucol treatment can yield a significant decrease in blood lipids in patients with coronary heart disease. Furthermore, XZKC exerts effective protection on vascular endothelial function, and can make GSH/GSSG redox status shift towards deoxidation.

OBJECTIVE:To establish the method for simultaneous determination of paeoniflorin,amygdalin,ferulic acid and ligustrazine in Modified buying huanwu decoction.METHODS:RP-HPLC method was adopted.The determination was performed on YMC C18 column with the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.1％ phosphoric acid (gradient elution) at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.The detection wavelengths were set at 320 nm (femlic acid),230 nm (paeoniflorin),207 nm (amygdalin),280 nm (ligustrazine).The column temperature was 30 ℃,and sample size was 10 μL.RESULTS:The linear ranges of paeoniflorin,amygdalin,femlic acid and ligustrazine were 0.191 2-1.912 μg/mL (r=0.999 6),0.117 4-1.174 μg/mL (r=0.999 6),0.011 5-0.115 μg/mL (r=0.999 8) and 0.001 66-0.016 6 μg/mL(r=0.999 7),respectively.The limits of quantitation were 1.912,1.174,0.115,0.016 6 μg/mL,and the limits of detection were 0.25,0.40,0.05,0.008 5 μg/mL,respectively.RSDs of precision,stability and reproducible tests were all lower than 2.0％.The recoveries were 96.9％-100.3％ (RSD=1.3％,n=6),95.1％-100.3％ (RSD=2.2％,n=6),95.3％-100.2％ (RSD=2.0％,n=6)and 97.0％-100.0％ (RSD=1.3％,n=6).CONCLUSIONS:The method is reliable,simple and accurate,and is suitable for simultaneous determination of paeoniflorin,amygdalin,ferulic acid and ligustrazine in Modified buyang huanwu decoction.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficiency of transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) with AGA-Amplatzer occlusion device in pediatric patients.

METHODSForty patients with ASD, 16 males, 24 females, at a mean age of 10.2 years (ranged from 3 to 15 years of age) and with a mean weight of 35.8 kg (ranged from 11 to 87 kg) were studied. Six cases were complicated with pulmonary stenosis (PS), 1 was complicated with ventricular tachycardia (VT). Right heart catheterizations were done in 40 patients for measuring the pressures of right ventricle and pulmonary artery. The balloon diameter of ASD was measured using balloon catheter with guiding wire. The diameter of ASD was measured by TTE and/or TEE, ascertaining the location and size of ASD. Amplatzer occlusion device was sized to be equal to or 1 - 2 mm more than the diameter of balloon stretched.

RESULTSAll patients had successful implantation of the Amplatzer device. The success rate was 100%. The diameter measured by TTE was 7 - 30 mm (mean 17.12 mm). The diameter measured by TEE was 7 - 32 mm (mean 18.44 mm). The diameter of balloon stretched of ASD was 8 - 34 mm. Of the 40 cases, 6 were complicated with PS and accepted percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty (PBPV). One case was complicated with VT and accepted radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA). Neither complication nor residual shunt was found in any of the patients. The patients were recovered and followed up for 3 or 4 days after deployment of the Amplatzer device. Clinical symptom, cardiac murmur, and findings in ECG, echocardiography and X-ray were improved markedly.

CONCLUSIONAGA-Amplatzer occlusion device is safe and efficient in pediatric patients with ASD.

Adolescent ; Cardiac Catheterization ; methods ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Postoperative Care ; Preoperative Care ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:The tumor-stroma ratio(TSR)is considered an independent prognostic factor for gastric cancer.Traditionally,TSR as-sessments have relied on the visual evaluation of surgical specimens,which is a method that lacks objectivity.This study was conducted to investigate whether the TSR in preoperative biopsy specimens can be automatically quantified using deep learning methods and whether the TSR value can be used to predict the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)in patients with gastric cancer.Methods:In total,148 preoperative biopsy slides and 43 surgical resection slides from patients with gastric cancer who underwent NAC treatment at Yunnan Can-cer Hospital between March 2013 and March 2020 were used in the study.Tumor region segmentation and epithelial-stromal segmentation models were developed.The surgical resection slides were used to trained and evaluate the model,and the biopsy slides were used to test their predictive abilities.The TSR values were determined on the basis of the intersection of predictions from both models.The postoperat-ive pathological tumor regression grade(TRG)was used to categorize patients into good responders(TRG 0-1)and poor responders(TRG 2-3).Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the correlation between the TSR value and the ef-ficacy of NAC in gastric cancer.Results:The intersection over union(IOU)value was 0.94 for the tumor tissue segmentation model and 0.88 for the epithelial-stromal segmentation model.Using cutoff values of 44.93％and 70.22％,patients were classified into low,intermediate,and high TSR groups.The proportion of good responders was significantly different among these groups(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic re-gression analysis indicated that the TSR was an independent predictor of NAC response in gastric cancer(OR=0.10,95％CI:0.03-0.32).When the TSR three-category classification was added as a predictor of treatment response alongside conventional clinical information,the area under curve(AUC)increased from 0.71 to 0.85.Conclusions:This deep learning model is capable of automatically segmenting tumor,epi-thelial,and stromal regions based on pathological slides,accurately calculating TSR value,and predicting the efficacy of NAC on the basis of the automatically computed TSR values.

OBJECTIVETo establish a uremic apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE-/-) mouse model and explore the relationship between accelerated atherosclerosis and Treg/Teff balance.

METHODSUsing apoE-/- mice with C57BL/6J background, uremic apoE-/- mice were created by electrocautery of the right kidney and nephrectomy of the left, and the control apoE-/- mice received a sham-operation. Two weeks after inducing uremia, the renal function of the mice were evaluated to assess the validity of the model. Ten weeks after the operation, blood samples were obtained from the mice to assess the renal function and serum total cholesterol (TCH); the serum concentrations of transforming growth factor-beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were detected by ELISA, and CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+)Treg ratio in the spleen was determined by flow cytometry. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of Foxp3 and IFN-gamma mRNA in the aorta, and oil red O staining used to investigate the relative atherosclerotic area on the frozen sections of the aortic root. The correlation between the renal function parameters and Treg quantity was analyzed.

RESULTSRenal function detection confirmed successful establishment of the uremic apoE-/- mouse model. Ten weeks after the operation, the relative atherosclerotic plaque area in the aortic root plaque increased significantly, the spleen Treg ratio decreased, the serum concentrations of TGF-beta(1) decreased and IFN-gamma and TCH increased, the expression of aortic Foxp3 mRNA decreased and IFN-gamma mRNA increased as compared with those in the control apoE-/- mice. A significant inverse correlation was found between the renal function parameters and Treg quantity in uremic apoE-/- mice.

CONCLUSIONIn uremic apoE-/- mice, accelerated aortic atherosclerosis is correlated to the T cell subset (Treg/Teff) imbalance shown by decreased quantity and impaired function of Treg and enhanced activity of Teff.

Animals ; Aorta ; pathology ; Apolipoproteins E ; genetics ; Atherosclerosis ; complications ; immunology ; pathology ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Random Allocation ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; immunology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; blood ; Uremia ; complications ; genetics ; immunology