A Review Many studies indicate that apoptosis is involved in the progression of congestive heart failure. At present, mechanisms that mitochondria regulates cell apoptosis is widely accepted.Cardiac myocytes have abundant mitochondria,which plays an important role in maintenance of cell physiological function. Recent studies find that cardiac energy metabolic shifts occur as a normal response to diverse physiologic and dietary conditions and as a component of the pathophysiologic processes which accompany cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, and myocardial ischemia.Both clinical and experimental studies show that cardiac function can be improved and apoptosis is inhibited by intervention in energetic metabolism of myocytes. [

Acetyltransferases ; genetics ; Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; Female ; GPI-Linked Proteins ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; genetics ; Humans ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; genetics ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; genetics ; physiopathology ; S100 Proteins ; genetics ; Transcription Factors ; genetics

Objective To investigate the appropriate surgical approaches and microsurgical resection of communicative skull base chordoma. Methods Twenty two cases of communicative skull base chordomas were microsurgically treated from 1995 to 2005 and followed up. The tumors were removed with extended anterior skull base approach in eight cases, with modified Weber-Ferguson (transmaxillary) approach in eight cases, and with transmandibular approach in six cases. Some cases were resected with combined approaches including pterional approach in 3 eases, subtemporal-zygomatie approach in 1 case, and suboccipital-retromastoid approach in 2 cases. Results Total, subtotal and partial removal of the tumors were achieved in 10 cases, 7 and 5 cases respectively. No patients died and had severe nervous system dysfunction after surgery. However, one had CSF rhinorrhea, one with infection, three with cranial never dysfunction. Twenty patients were followed-up with average 3.4 years, 12 returned to normal or partial works, 5 took care by oneself, 1 needed help, 2 died from tumor recurrence. Conclusion The treatment of communicative skull base chordoma is a challenge to neurosurgeon. The key point is the total removal of the tumor with the microsurgical technique and the appropriate approach depend on the location of the tumor. Moreover, skull base reconstruction is also important to avoid the cerebrospinal fluid leak and infection.

Objective To study the inhibitory effects of stachyose on the hyperacute rejection in pig-to-human heart xenotransplantation.Methods A pig-to-human xenogeneic heart transplantation model was established based on an in vitro free heart blood perfusion system.The pig hearts were di- vided into two groups:group A(pig hearts treated with human blood perfusion as control)and group B(pig hearts treated with human blood plus stachyose perfusion).After perfusion for 1h,the heart xenografts were examined for deposit of lgG and IgM by immunohistochemistry and pathological analy sis.Results The mean survival time of perfusion hearts in groups A and B was(9.5?2.5)min and (46.8?8.1)min respectively(P

Objective To study the multidetector CT (MDCT) features of soft tissue hemangiomas.Methods Plain CT,contrast-enhanced CT and CT angiographic findings of 20 patients with soft tissue hemangiomas confirmed by clinical,operative and pathologic data were retrospectively analysed.Results The lesions appeared as soft tissue density on CT and 5 cases with patchy calcification.There were various enhancement after administration of contrast media,net-like vessel enhancement intratumor both arterial and venous phase(12/20),the large supplying arteriae including simple feeding artery(4/12) and multiple feeding arteriae(8/12) could be seen,and varix within the tumors(6/12),no or mild enhancement in other cases(8 cases) on arterial phase,and homogeneous enhancement on venous phase also presented.Conclusion The imaging findings such as shape,size,supplying artery of soft tissue hemangiomas can be showed clearly by MDCT angiography.

BACKGROUND: Cephalocervical cancer is closely related with genetic factors, but do the first-degree relatives have a higher risk for cancers? Slenderstyle acanthopanax root-bark has an anti-mutation chromosome stabilizer, can it enhance the anticaner ability of the first-degree relatives? OBJECTIVE: To study the genetic factor of cephalocervical cancer and antimutagenic effect of slenderstyle acanthopanax root-bark.DESIGN:A controlled experiment with human peripheral blood as the sample.SETTING: The Department of Medical Genetics of the Basic Medical Science School, and the Department of Otolaryngology of the First Hospital of Jilin University; The University of Warwick, UK.PARTICIPANTS: The subjects were taken during the period of October 2001 to March 2002. The patients with cephalocervical tumor and their first-degree relatives were all from the Department of Otolaryngology,FirstHospital of Jilin University, and healthy group were well-being blood devoting volunteers from Changchun City Central Blood Bank. There were group( n = 50) included 25 males and 25 females who were healthy blood patients group( n =30) were composed of 22 males and 8 females who did first-degree relative group(n=30) consisted of 19 males and 11 females. They were the first-degree relatives of patients with carcinoma of larynx and carcinoma of nasopharynx. Except for the family history of cancer,they themselves were all healthy. Informed consents were obtained from all of them.METHODS: The peripheral blood was collected as the sample and the lymphocyte culturing was performed. The culture cycle was 72 hours and bleomycin(BLM) (15 mL) was added into it at the 67~ hour, also the slenderstyle acanthopanax root-bark(SARB) (800 mg/L) was added into the antimutagenesis experiment. The cells were collected after culturing for another 72 hours. The conventional method was used for slide preparation. The slides were stained with Giemsa solution without banding. Choosing the proper objective and observing the numbers of chromatid breaks. The numbers of chromatid breaks were converted into the numbers of chromatid breaks per cell (b/c value). Namely, b/c value equals to the quotient, the number of chromatid break divided by the number of the cell observed in the slide.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The number of chromatid breaks per cell (b/c value).RESULTS: All the 110 cases in the 3 groups entered the stage of result It was lower in the control group than that in the patients group and first-degree relatives group(0.16 ± 0.06, 0.48 ± 0. 14, 0.42 ± 0. 12, P ＜0.01). There was no significant difference in b/c value between the paparison between b/c value induced by combined SARB with BLM and only BLM was performed: The b/c value of former is significantly lower than the latter (0.48±0.14,0.15 ±0.08,0.42±0.12, 0.17±0.11,P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: The first-degree relatives of the patients with cephalocervical cancers should be classified as tumor high-risk group. SARB as a chromatid stabilizer has an obvious inhibitory effect on b/c value of the patients induced by BLM and that of the first-degree relatives.

Objective To explore the relationship between preoperative plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after cardiac valve replacement (CVR) combined with radiofrequency ablation.Methods Fifty-eight patients with AF undergoing CVR combined with radiofrequency modified Maze procedure were enrolled in this study.The patients were allocated to either AF recurrence group (AF group,18 cases) or AF no recurrence group (SR group,40 cases) according to whether patient's AF recurrence or not within 3 months after surgery.NT-proBNP were respectively measured in two groups in 1st day before operation and 9th day after operation by radioimmunoassay.Results All the 58 patients were involved in the final analysis.NT-proBNP levels in 1st day before operation and 9th day after operation in AF group was significantly higher than that in SR group (2061.30 ng/L vs.579.00 ng/L,996.60 ng/L vs.209.20 ng/L,P＜ 0.01 ).NT-proBNP levels in 1st day before operation in two groups was significantly higher than that in 9th day after operation (P ＜ 0.01 ).Conclusions There is a good relationship between preoperative plasma NT-proBNP levels and recurrence of AF.It has a clinical value in predicting of recurrence AF after CVR combined with radiofrequency modified Maze procedure.

Dust ; Humans ; Occupational Exposure ; prevention & control ; Pneumoconiosis ; prevention & control

The species of bromine and iodine in aerosol samples were extracted using ultra-pure water-ultrasonic method with different time in-length and pressurizing decomposition with dilute ammonia, respectively. The efficiency of extraction and the stability of bromine and iodine species were compared under different extraction) conditions. Results showed that(1) the efficiency of extraction using pressurizing decomposition, which might destroy some unknown form of organic iodine, was relatively higher than the one by ultrasonic method;(2) I~- was unstable in added standard cellular blank filter during ultrasonic assisted extraction for long time;(3) The optimum condition was ultra-pure water-ultrasonic assisted extraction for 5 min. Moreover), the suitability of glass microfiber filter(GF) and cellular filter(CF) during extraction for bromine and iodine) species in aerosol was also compared, which indicated that GF is favorable for species analysis than CF under different kinds of extraction conditions. Based upon the extraction results, HPLC-ICP-MS approach was developed to analyze bromine and iodine) species in atmospheric aerosol. The total iodine, bromine and species in the aerosol samples collected in Hefei were then determined accordingly. The levels of total bromine and iodine) in Hefei aerosols were 883 and 231 pmol/m~3, respectively. Br~- was found to be dominant species with 68%, while BrO_3~- was undetectable. 70% of total iodine occurred as unidentified forms including soluble organic) iodine and insoluble iodine.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome