This study is to determine the preventive effect and mechanism of targeting IL-17A on pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis after acute lung injury. Mice were treated with anti-IL-17A antibody on the day 7 and sacrificed on the day 14 after bleomycin lung injury. The pulmonary inflammatory status and the deposition of collagen were measured by HE and Sirius stains staining. The contents of hydroxyproline and collagen were measured by using commercial kits. The survival rate of mice was calculated by Kaplan-Meier methods. The inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were measured by ELISA and the expressions of inflammation-related molecules were detected by Western blotting assay. Targeting of IL-17A could prevent the development of lung inflammation, decrease collagen deposition and the contents of hydroxyproline, and protect against the development of pulmonary fibrosis, which together led to an increase in the animal survival. Moreover, blocking IL-17A decreased the expression ofpro-fibrotic cytokines such as IL-17A, TGF-beta1 and IL-13; increased the expression of anti-fibrotic or anti-inflammatory factors such as IFN-gamma, COX-2, 5-LOX, 15-LOX. Indeed, IL-17A antagonism suppressed the activation of pro-inflammatory p65NF-kappaB but enhanced the activation of pro-resolving p50NF-kappaB. In conclusion, that blockade of IL-17A prevents the development of pulmonary fibrosis from acute lung injury, is because blocking IL-17A may prevent acute inflammation converting to chronic inflammation.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tirofiban infusion to infarct related vessels on patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) during emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: From Jan 2013 to Jun 2014, a total of 30 STEMI patients were enrolled as tirofiban group (tirofiban 500μg was infused to infarct related vessels during emergency PCI), and received intravenous drip of tirofiban 0.1 μg•kg-1•min-1 for 24h after stent implantation; another 31 STEMI patients were regarded as pure stenting group during the same period and they received direct stent implantation during emergency PCI. Computer-assisted Quantitative Blush Evaluator (QuBE) score, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) during hospitalization and after six-month follow-up and incidence rate of major adverse cardiovascular events were compared and analyzed between two groups. Results: There were no significant difference in baseline data between two groups, P>0.05. Compared with pure stenting group, after six months, there were significant rise in QuBE score [(10.88±5.03) scores vs. (14.70±6.69) scores] and LVEF [(57.19±4.59)% vs. (59.80±5.34)%], and significant reduction in incidence rate of MACE (35.5% vs. 10.0%) in tirofiban group, P<0.05 all. Conclusion: Tirofiban application in infarct related vessels during emergency PCI in STEMI patients can effectively and safely improve myocardial microcirculation perfusion level and it is worth extending.

Objective: To determine the distribution characteristics of waist circumference (WC), waist height ratio (WHtR) of 6–18 years olds in Guangzhou, and to put forward the WC and WHtR appropriate boundary values for 6–18 years olds on the basis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor assessment. Methods: We analyzed the height, weight, WC and its metabolic indication data (blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and blood lipids) of 15 000 children in Guangzhou, aged 6–18, with the receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC), and explored the best value point of WC and WHtRfor the prediction of cardiovascular diseases. Results: When the WC percent reached P85, and WHtR reached 0.48, the cardiovascular risk factors of fasting blood-glucose, blood pressure, and blood fat were signiifcantly higher. Conclusion: The 85th percentile value of WC and 0.48 of WHtR are the appropriate boundary values in increasing the cardiovascular disease risk factors in Chinese children and teenagers. WC and WHtR as a relatively simple inspection method, can well predict cardiovascular diseases, and be used in the conventional measuring items among students.

Objective To explore the application of videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) in the treatment of dysphagia post-stroke. Methods Eighty patients were assigned into control and treatment groups. Both groups accepted routine drug treatments and physical therapy, and all patients underwent VFSS on the 1 st and 28th day of the study. The patients in the treatment group accepted weekly VFSS in addition, and their swal-lowing training schedules were formulated according to the VFSS assessment results. Water drinking tests and de-glutition disorders were adopted to assess the patients' swallowing function before and after therapy. Results In treatment group, where the therapy schedule was adjusted using VFSS every week, the adjustment proportion at the 2nd, 3rd and 4th week was 20.6% , 40.7% and 15.8% , respectively. Before treatment there was no difference between the two groups with regard to water drinking, deglutition or VFSS scores. After training the water drinking and deglutition results and the time for iodine to transit the oral cavity and pharynx all improved significantly in both groups. The improvements in the treatment group were significantly greater than in the con-trol group. Conclusions Swallowing training based on videofluoroscopic assessment can significantly alleviate post-stroke dysphagia.

Objective To find the optimal route of eontralateral C7 nerve transfer for brachial plexus avulsion injuries through autopsy. Methods The bilateral brachial plexus were exposed on 30 sides of 15 cadaverie specimens of adult. The C7 nerve root was sectioned at the junction site of trunk and division, and then dissected proximally to the foramina. The max length of anterior and posterior division of C7 was measured. The distance between the roof of C7 and the upper trunk and the lower trunk at the affected side through vertebral body route, prespinal route and a subcutaneous tunnel on the anterior surface of the neck was measured. Results The max length of anterior and posterior division of C7 was (7.67±1.06) cm and (7.79±1.36) cm respectively. The distance between the roof of C7 and the upper trunk at the affected side through vertebral body route, prespinal route and a subcutaneous tunnel on the anterior surface of the neck was (6.97±0.56) cm and (10.04±0.94) cm and (16.56±1.24) cm respectively, there were statistical significance among them (P < 0.01). The distance between the roof of C7 and the lower trunk at the affected side through vertebral body route and prespinal route and a subcutaneous tunnel on the anterior surface of the neck was (6.82±0.92) cm、(9.91±0. 83) cm and (17.64±0.97) cm, with a significant difference (P<0.01). Conclusion The best way of contralateral C7 nerve transfer for the treatment of brachial plexus injury was through the vertebral body route from the point of anatomy.

[ ABSTRACT] AIM:To investigate the effect of combined treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue ( GnRHa) and growth hormone ( GH) on the linear growth in mid-and late pubertal girls at great bone ages with central precocious puberty ( CPP) or early and fast puberty ( EFP) , and to determine the relation between C-type natriuretic pep-tide ( CNP) signaling pathway and the accelerative effect of GH on long bone growth in these girls.METHODS:Twenty-two girls were diagnosed as CPP or EFP, whose bone ages were older than 11.5 years with impaired predicted adult height ( PAH) , and divided into GnRHa treatment group ( treated with GnRHa alone, slow-release of triptorelin 60~80 μg/kg every 4 weeks, im) and combined treatment group ( treated with GnRHa and GH, 1 U/kg GH every week for 6~7 times, sc) .The height, weight and pubertal stage were determined every 3 months.At the beginning and after 6 months of the treatment, the bone age was evaluated and the serum concentrations of amino-terminal pro-C-type natriuretic peptide ( NT-proCNP), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide (P1NP) were measured. Height velocity ( HV) , height SD score for bone age ( HtSDSBA ) , PAH and the serum indexes mentioned above were com-pared at the beginning and the end of the treatment.RESULTS: After 6 months of the treatment, HV, ΔHtSDSBA andΔPAH of the girls treated with GnRHa +GH were statistically higher than those of the girls given GnRHa alone ( P <0.01).Serum concentrations of NTproCNP, P1NP and IGF-1 were not significantly different between the beginning and the end of the 6-month combined treatment.The girls treated with GnRHa alone showed a significant decrease in both serum NTproCNP and P1NP levels (P<0.05) and no significant change of serum IGF-1 level after 6 months of the treatment. CONCLUSION:In the CPP or EFP girls who are in mid-and late puberty and at great bone ages, the combined treatment with GnRHa and GH may accelerate linear growth and improve predicted adult height.This effect of GH is not attributed to the change of serum IGF-1 level, and may be related in part to the acceleration of CNP-mediated long bone growth.

To determine whether the pathological changes caused by injury to the spinal cord can be correlated with values obtained by the Magnetic Motor Evoked Potential (MEPs) technique, we studied spinal cords from 41 adult cats who were divided into 4 groups. The groups ranged from normal cats whose spinal cords were not compressed, to slightly, moderately and severely injured. MEPs were recorded before compression and in 30 minutes, 6 hours, 1 week, 2 week and 4 week after the compression unit was installed. Pathological changes with increased pressure were seen in blood vessels, nerve cells and fibers, Nissl substance and the central canal. A reversal of pathological changes was observed in slight or moderate injury during the 4 weeks of the experiment. Extensive injury, however, caused irreversible changes in the nerve cells with loss of motor function. The latency of MEPs at 30 minutes and 6 hours in the slightly injured group was 0.37 and 0.38 times greater than the baseline and returned to normal levels in 4 weeks. In the moderately injured group, the latency was increased 0.77 and 0.81 times and in the severely injured 1.32 and 1.36 times over the baseline. Recovery in the second group was partial and not at all in the severely injured. Thus, there appears to be good correlation between observed pathological changes, motor functions and MEPs.

Objective To understand how serum DHEAS levels change with sex,age and stage of sexual maturation in children and adolescents and explore the relationship between adrenarche and pubertal maturatiotL Methods Serum samples from 120 healthy boys,198 healthy girls and 152 girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) were examined for DHEAS.Referenee ranges for healthy children and adolescents and statistical difierences between heahhy girls and ICPP girls were analyzed with respect to sex,age and stage of sexual maturation.Results Both healthy children and ICPP girls showed extremely low levels of serum DHEAS and they were not related to sex.age or tanner stages in the individuals below age of 6 years.Serum DHEAS levels were positively related to both age (above age of 6 years)and tanner stage in healthy groups(r=0.69 and 0.71 respectively,P＜0.01).After the onset of puberty,serum DHEAS levels appeared to be higher in boys than that in girls within the same tanner stage(P＜0.05).Within the individusis in the same age group with same sex.serum DHEAS levels increased along with pubertal development.While within the individuals in same tanner stage group with salne sex after puberty onset.serum DHEAS levels showed no significant difference among different age groups.For example.there was no difference in serum DHEAS levels of healthy girls in tanner stage Ⅲ among different age subgroups(age of8-9;age of 10-11,age of 12-13)and the mean vallie of serum DHEAS was 532.0-557.8μg/L(F=0.21,P=0.98).In different age subgroups above age of 6 years,Z scores for serum DHEAS in ICPP girls were highher than them healthy ones with advanced tanner stages(0.97us-0.1 and 1.39us-0.08,JP≤0.01)In different tanner stage subgroups.Z scores for serum DHEAS showed no difierence between healthy and ICPP girls despite apparent different age ranges(0.00 us-0.31-0.18,P＞0.05).Conclusions Serum DHEAS level increased along with both age (above 6 years) and tanner stage in healthy children and adolescents.There was no gender difference until the onset of puberty.It was demonstrated that adrenache and gonadarche were related to each other.Reference ranges for adolescents should be interpreted according to sex.age and tanner stage simultaneously.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of cinobufacini injection in treating moderate and advanced primary liver cancer (PLC). METHODS: One hundred patients with moderate and advanced PLC were randomly divided into cino-treated group (50 patients) and control group (50 patients). The quality of life, tumor size, some changes of laboratory tests, and survival time were observed. RESULTS: The progressive rate of cino-treated group (18%) was lower than that of the control group (32%). The quality of life of the cino-treated group (80%) was better than that of the control group (72%), but without statistical significance. The survival rate of >12 months of the cino-treated group (30%) was higher than that of the control group (18%). The patients' liver function such as serum total bilirubin and ALT decreased obviously in the cino-treated group while increased a lot in the control group. The level of AFP increased after treatment with statistical significance in the control group while there was no statistical significance in the cino-treated group. CONCLUSION: Cinobufacini injection can not only inhibit the proliferation of cancer, but also protect liver function, improve quality of life and prolong survival time.

Objective To assess the efficacy and impact factors of treatment with Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs (GnRHa) in central precocious puberty (CPP) or early and fast puberty (EFP) girls in a retrospective unicenter study.Methods One hundred and two girls (75 CPP and 27 EFP) were treated with GnRHa alone and were followed up to their final adult hight (FAH).Results FAH was (158.0 ± 4.8) cm,being significantly higher than pretreatment predicted adult height [(151.1 ±5.1) cm,P＜0.01].There was no significant difference between CPP [(7.3 ± 4.4) cm] and EFP [(5.5 ± 4.5) cm] in net height gain.There was no significant improvement in FAH and pretreatment PAH for the patients who had menarche before treatment or whose growth velocity was less than 4 cm during the first year.Conclusion GnRHa treatment improves FAH efficiently for both CPP and EFP girls.Nevertheless,those who had menarche before treatment or whose growth velocity was less than 4 cm during the first year can hardly improve FAH by GnRHa treatment alone.