Various central nerve system lesions involved cerebral hemisphere and nerve fiber tract such as cerebral infarction and hemorrhage can cause Wallerian degeneration,which is similar to the pathological change of peripheral nerve cut.There is a clear correlation between the degree of recovery and the degree of Wallerian degeneration.This article reviews the advances in feature of poststroke Wallerian degeneration and the correlation between post-stroke Wallerian degeneration and rehabilitation outcome.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of antihypertensive medication timing on degree and stability of blood pressure (BP) lowering in patients with moderate and severe essential hypertension.

METHODSNinety patients were randomly assigned to take Valsartan and Felodiping together in the morning (group A), Valsartan in the morning and Felodiping in the evening (group B) or Felodiping in the morning and Valsartan in the evening (group C, n = 30 each). The morning dosage was titrated if the goal blood pressure was not achieved. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was performed on the first and 14(th) day of medication.

RESULTSThe BP reductions during nighttime and twenty-four in group B and C hours were similar (P > 0.05) but were significant more than those in group A (P < 0.05). The smoothness indexes of mean systolic, mean arterial blood pressure during nighttime and twenty-four in group B and C were similar but significantly higher than that in group A (P < 0.05). The smoothness index of diastolic pressure at nighttime in group B and C was similar but significantly higher than that in group A (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMore significant and stable antihypertensive effects could be achieved by taking the two antihypertensive medications separately in the morning and at evening compared that taken the two drugs together in the morning.

Antihypertensive Agents ; administration & dosage ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Felodipine ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; Tetrazoles ; administration & dosage ; Valine ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; Valsartan

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of minimally invasive therapy on treating hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage.Methods 40 cases hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage were randomly divided into two groups, 20 cases were received the minimally invasive drainage therapy and 20 cases medicine therapy.Results Effective rate was high(P

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect of subcutaneous pedicle skin flap for repairing skin and soft tissue defect in the philtrum area. Methods: From November 2015 to July 2016, 6 patients with pigmented nevus and basal cell carcinoma were treated with regional subcutaneous pedicled flaps. The functional and aesthetical outcomes were evaluated. Results: Follow-up was performed at 6-12 months postoperatively. All 6 flaps survived. The wounds healing was good, and the postoperative appearance was satisfactory. Conclusions The kite subcutaneous pedicled flap is an ideal method for repairing the skin and soft tissue defects in philtrum area, and it can produce satisfactory clinical results.

OBJECTIVETo explore the growth inhibition effects and apoptosis inducing mechanisms of curcumin on human ovarian cancer cell line A2780.

METHODSAfter treatment with 10 - 50 micromol/L curcumin for 6 - 24 h, the growth activity of A2780 cancer cells were studied by [4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetry. Cellular apoptosis was inspected by flow cytometery and acridine orange-ethidium bromide fluorescent staining methods. The fragmentation of cellular chromosome DNA was detected by DNA ladder, the ultrastructural change was observed under a transmission electron microscope, and the protein levels of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB, P65) and cysteinyl aspartate specific protease-3 (Caspase-3) in ovarian cancer cells were measured by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSAfter treatment with various concentrations of curcumin, the growth inhibition rates of cancer cells reached 62.05% - 89.24%, with sub-G(1) peaks appearing on histogram. Part of the cancer cells showed characteristic morphological changes of apoptosis under fluorescence and electron microscopes, and the rate of apoptosis was 21.5% - 33.5%. The protein expression of NF-kappaB was decreased, while that of Caspase-3 was increased in a time-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONCurcumin could significantly inhibit the growth of human ovarian cancer cells; inducing apoptosis through up-regulating Caspase-3 and down-regulating gene expression of NF-kappaB is probably one of its molecular mechanisms.

Acridine Orange ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; analysis ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Colorimetry ; Curcumin ; pharmacology ; DNA Fragmentation ; Down-Regulation ; Ethidium ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; NF-kappa B ; analysis ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; pathology ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of overexpression of second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (Smac) gene on apoptosis of gastric cancer cells.

METHODSUnder the induction of liposome, MKN-45 cells were transfected by Smac gene and incubated with G418 for subclone selection. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to determine cellular Smac gene expression. After induction of apoptosis by mitomycin (MMC), cell viabilities were analyzed using trypan blue stain. Apoptosis was measured by electronic microscopy, acridine orange-ethidium bromide fluorescent staining and in situ terminally labelled transferase technique (TUNEL). Western blot and colorimetry were used to assess cellular caspase-3 expression and its activity.

RESULTSThe Smac mRNA and protein levels in MKN-45/Smac subclone cells (subclone consistently expressing Smac gene) were significantly higher than those in MKN-45 (P < 0.01). When compared with those in MKN-45, cell viabilities of MKN-45/Smac were reduced by 10.0% to 30.8% (P < 0.01), after treatment with 10 microg/ml MMC for 6 to 24 hours. Some of the MKN-45/Smac cells showed characteristic morphologic changes of apoptosis, their apoptotic rate being increased by 21.2% (P < 0.01). After treatment with MMC, caspase-3 expression and its activity in MKN-45/Smac cells were significantly higher than those in MKN-45 (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSOverexpression of Smac in gastric cancer cell line significantly improves expression and activity levels of caspase-3 after induction by MMC. Such apoptosis-inducing effect establishes a novel strategy for regulating the apoptosis activity of gastric cancer.

Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; Mitochondrial Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Mitomycin ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effectiveness of the combined endocardial and epicardial saline-irrigated radiofrequency modified maze procedure for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF).

METHODSDuring a period of 3 years, 295 patients with AF having concomitant cardiac surgery underwent the procedure. Patients underwent either the endocardial and epicardial group (n=185) or the endocardial group (n=110) radiofrequency ablation. There were 124 males, 171 females with a mean age of (52 +/- 11) year old. Mean duration of preoperative AF was 36 +/- 43 months. And about 90.8 percent valve pathology was rheumatic. Valve operation was performed in 289 patients, coronary artery bypass graft surgery in 19 patients and congenital heart disease operation in 6 patients respectively. Follow-up for the whole patients ranged from 3 to 47 months (mean 28 +/- 5 months).

RESULTSTen patients died postoperatively (3.4%). Four patients died of low cardiac output, five patients died of multisystem and organ failure, one patient died of cerebral hernia. There were 2 patients died of nerves system complication during follow-up. At the end of the procedure 228 patients (77.3%) were sinus rhythm, including 78 patients (70.9%) in endocardial group while 150 patients (81.1%) in endocardial and epicardial group (P<0.05). At late follow-up, 191 of 259 patients (73.7%) were in stable sinus rhythm. Sinus rhythm was present in 64 patients (66.0%) in endocardial group while 127 patients (78.4%) in endocardial and epicardial group (P<0.05). Histopathology of the endocardial group revealed foci coagulative necrosis was limited to the endocardial side. While endocardial and epicardial ablation had full-thickness alteration of atrial tissue besides ill defined borders and inflammatory cell infiltration.

CONCLUSIONSCombined endocardial and epicardial saline-irrigated radiofrequency modified maze procedure was performed safely and efficiently. And it restored sinus rhythm better than endocardial ablation only.

Adult ; Aged ; Atrial Fibrillation ; surgery ; Catheter Ablation ; methods ; Endocardium ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pericardium ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer.

METHODSA sulfur hexafluoride-filled microbubble ultrasound contrast agent and a continuous real-time imaging technique of contrast pulse sequencing were used. Normal gastric wall was examined by CEUS in 8 healthy volunteers and the results were compared with the findings on multislice computed tomography. Sixty-two patients with gastric cancer proved by biopsies who received preoperative CEUS examination were involved in this study, and the CEUS result was compared with postoperative pathological findings.

RESULTSThe normal gastric wall presented a one-layer structure in the portal venous phase and a three-layer structure in the arterial and equilibrium phase including a slightly hyper-enhanced inner layer, a hypo-enhanced intermediate layer, and a markedly hyper-enhanced outer layer, which corresponded histologically to the mucosal, submucosal, and muscular-serosal layer, respectively. The accuracy of transabdominal ultrasonography and CEUS in determining the T stage of gastric cancer was 72.9% and 88.1% respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (chi(2)=4.37, P=0.036).

CONCLUSIONSCEUS shows the normal gastric wall as a one- or a three-layer structure, which provides a theory base for CEUS in preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer. CEUS is a useful diagnostic method for preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Contrast Media ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; methods ; Stomach Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Sulfur Hexafluoride ; Ultrasonography ; methods

BACKGROUNDSeveral studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) have indicated that cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) might improve cognitive function by changing brain activations in patients with schizophrenia. However, the results were not consistent in these changed brain areas in different studies. The present activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis was conducted to investigate whether cognitive function change was accompanied by the brain activation changes, and where the main areas most related to these changes were in schizophrenia patients after CRT. Analyses of whole-brain studies and whole-brain + region of interest (ROI) studies were compared to explore the effect of the different methodologies on the results.

METHODSA computerized systematic search was conducted to collect fMRI and PET studies on brain activation changes in schizophrenia patients from pre- to post-CRT. Nine studies using fMRI techniques were included in the meta-analysis. Ginger ALE 2.3.1 was used to perform meta-analysis across these imaging studies.

RESULTSThe main areas with increased brain activation were in frontal and parietal lobe, including left medial frontal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule in patients after CRT, yet no decreased brain activation was found. Although similar increased activation brain areas were identified in ALE with or without ROI studies, analysis including ROI studies had a higher ALE value.

CONCLUSIONSThe current findings suggest that CRT might improve the cognition of schizophrenia patients by increasing activations of the frontal and parietal lobe. In addition, it might provide more evidence to confirm results by including ROI studies in ALE meta-analysis.

Brain ; physiopathology ; Cognition ; Cognitive Remediation ; Humans ; Likelihood Functions ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Schizophrenia ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy

Objective To investigate the susceptibility related sites to schizophrenia through whole genome analysis combined with bioinformatics analysis method.Methods The research was carried out by two stages.In the first stage,300 cases of schizophrenia and 300 healthy controls were enrolled,and 5ml pe-ripheral venous blood was drawn to extract genome DNA.After quality control and concentration adjustment by ultraviolet spectrophotometer,equal mass of DNA was mixed into DNA pooling for case group and control group respectively.Genome-Wide Human SNP Array 6.0 chips were used to detect the polymorphism of the SNP.Plink software was used to locate the differential SNP to genes.GSEA was used to analyze the gene to pathway.Ten loci with the smallest P value of screened pathway were chosen as investigated subjects.In the second stage,240 schizophrenias and 200 healthy controls were collected to gain the genome DNA to verity the genotype of the 10 loci.Results Many single nucleotide polymorphism loci which P<9.2×10-8were found in GWAS.The GSEA pathway analysis showed that the axon guidance pathway was significantly related to the incidence of schizophrenia.The distribution of rs4632195 genotypes involved the distribution of among 10 loci(χ2=11.484,P=0.003)and alleles(χ2=8.824,P=0.009)were statistically significant,and T al-lele was susceptibility genes of schizophrenia(OR=1.537,95%CI:1.157-2.203).Conclusion rs4632195 of DCC gene in the axon guidance pathway is associated with schizophrenia,and the T allele is associated with susceptibility to schizophrenia.