Objective:To compare clinical characteristics of acute and chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).Methods:41 patients with CSC in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were studied, according to the course, they were divided into acute central serous chorioretinopathy group (A group, 29 eyes of 29 cases) and chronic central serous chorioretinopathy group (B group, 12 eyes of 12 cases). All patients underwent the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), subretinal fluid thickness (SRF) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) examination. The imaging characteristics of fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) were compared between the two groups.Results:The BCVA, SRF and SFCT in A group were higher than those in B group ( P<0.05). FFA in group A showed that the leakage of ink diffusion or smoke type fluorescein leakage. FFA in group B showed that the fluorescein leakage was single or multiple in macular area, and atrophy of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells was observed. OCTA of group A showed that the choroidal capillary layer showed high blood flow signal, low blood flow signal around the outside, or coarse granular high signal, and no choroidal neovascularization (CNV) was found. OCTA in group B showed that the image of choroidal capillary layer was similar to that of group A, but in group B, 2 eyes (2/12) had CNV with obvious morphology. Conclusions:Clinical characteristics of acute and chronic central serous chorioretinopathy are different. OCTA has definite application value in follow-up and detection of CNV.

Objective To summarize the postoperative experience of nursing infants undergoing total anomalous pulmonary venous correction.Method The clinical data of 54 infants undergoing total anomalous pulmonary venous correction were retrospectively reviewed for the summarization of nursing strategies.Result Forty nine patients were clinically cured and discharged, 2 voluntarily left the hospital without further treatment and 3 died of low cardiac output syndrome.Conclusion Early postoperative monitoring,protection of heart function and prevention of pulmonary hypertensive crisis are all critical for successful manipulation of total anomalous pulmonary venous correction.

The main form of the postgraduate medical training in China is residency standard-ized training, while the residency training system in some European and American developed countries is relatively mature. A review is presented on the programs of residency standardized training in Europe and America, concentrating on their strength and defects and reaching the conclusion that standard-ization, high-efficiency, personalization, socialization and internationalization can be the new trends in the development of residency standardized training in China.

Head and Neck Neoplasms ; surgery ; Humans ; Robotics

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of sildenafil in the treatment of high altitude heart disease associated with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in children.

METHODSFifty children (aged 2 months to 2 years) with high altitude heart disease associated with severe PAH, who were continuously transferred to the Intensive Care Unit between January 2011 and October 2013, were randomly assigned to observation and control groups. The control group was given conventional treatment, while the observation group received oral sildenafil [1 mg/(kg . d)] three times daily for 7-10 days in addition to the conventional treatment. Before and after treatment, hemodynamics, blood gas, routine blood parameters, and blood biochemical parameters were recorded.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the observation group had a significantly higher decrease in mean pulmonary artery pressure and significantly higher increases in arterial partial pressure of oxygen, cardiac output, cardiac index, and oxygenation index compared with the control group (P<0.05). In the observation group, there were no significant changes in mean arterial pressure, routine blood parameters and blood biochemical parameters (P>0.05), and no obvious adverse reactions were found.

CONCLUSIONSFor children with high altitude heart disease associated with severe PAH, sildenafil can effectively reduce pulmonary artery pressure and improve cardiac function and does not cause adverse reactions. This therapy has good safety according to the preliminary evaluation.

Altitude ; Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; complications ; physiopathology ; Infant ; Male ; Piperazines ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Purines ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Sildenafil Citrate ; Sulfones ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Vasodilator Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use

BACKGROUND: Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is possibly related to regulation of various cell signals that are derived from aqueous uveoscleral outflow pathway.OBJECTIVE: To explore effect of travoprost on the expression of NF-κB and inhibitor-κB (I-κB) in human ciliary muscle cells cultured in vitro. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: A contrast study, which was performed in the Laboratory of Zhongshan Ophthalmology Center from March 2005 to November 2006.MATERIALS: Eyeballs were obtained from the youth who died due to other diseases except eye disease no more than one hour. The relatives voluntarily provided the informed consent.METHODS: Travoprost (1 μmol/L) was added in human ciliary muscle cell culture medium, and then the samples were divided into four groups according to culture time, including 0-hour (control group), 6-hour, 12-hour, and 24-hour experimental groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Expression of mRNA and protein of NF-κB p65 and I-κBα in the four groups by using real-time RT-PCR, immunofluorescence relative quantitative analysis and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. RESULTS: As compared to control group, mRNA expression of NF-κB p65 in the 6-hour, 12-hour, and 24-hour experimental groups was decreased (F=17.068, P=0.001); while mRNA expression of I-κBα was not changed remarkably in the 6-hour and 12-hour experimental groups (P > 0.05), but the expression was significantly higher than that in the 24-hour experimental group (F=32.742, P=0.000). Immunofluorescence relative quantitative analysis showed that the fluorescence intensity of NF-κB p65 in the 6-hour, 12-hour, and 24-hour experimental groups were weaker than that in the 0-hour control group (F=17.216, P=0.000); additionally, as compared to 0-hour control group, fluorescence intensity of I-κBα in the 6-hour experimental group was not changed remarkably (P=0.134), that in the 12-hour experimental group was weakened (P=0.032), and that in the 24-hour experimental group was strengthened (F=17.346, P=0.001). ELISA revealed that expression of phosphorylated NF-κB p65 was decreased gradually by the time of being induced by travoprost (F=15.4, P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Travoprost can down-regulate mRNA expression of NF-κB p65, inhibit nuclear translocation, and up-regulate mRNA expression of I-κBα in human ciliary muscle cells.

Objective To observe the preventive and therapeutic effect of Yangyin Shengxue Mixture (Herbal decoction for nourishing yin and blood) on radiation-induced oral mucosal injury.Methods Sixty nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients were randomized into two groups: treatment group (30 cases) receiving Yangyin Shengxue Mixture three days before till one week after radiotherapy, and control group (30 patients) using conventional Tinidazole Gargle for prevention of oral-mucositis. Before and after treatment, the body weight, hemoglobin and state of infection of patients were examined. The time of occurrence of symptoms, degree of acute radiation mucositis and degree of pain were observed to evaluate the damage of oral mucosa according to RTOG standard for radiation injury of oral mucosa and Numeric Rating Scales (NRS). Results There were different degrees of radiation mucositis in both groups during radiotherapy, but the time of occurrence in the treatment group was significantly later than that of the control group (P

Hyoscyamine 6 beta-hydroxylase (H6H) is the last rate-limiting enzyme directly catalyzing the formation of scopolamine in tropane alkaloids (TAs) biosynthesis pathway. It is the primary target gene in the genetic modification of TAs metabolic pathway. Full-length cDNA and gDNA sequences of a novel H6H gene were cloned from Datura arborea (DaH6H, GenBank accession numbers for cDNA and gDNA are KR006981 and KR006983, respectively). Nucleotide sequence analysis reveals an open reading frame of 1375 bp encoding 347 amino acids in the cDNA of DaH6H, while the gDNA of DaH6H contains four exons and three introns, with the highest similarity to the gDNA of H6H from D. stramonium. DaH6H also exhibited the most identity of 90.5% with DsH6H in amino acids and harbored conserved 2-oxoglutarate binding motif and two iron binding motifs. The expression level of DaH6H was highest in the mature leaf, followed by the secondary root, and with no expression in the primary root based on qPCR analysis. Its expression was inhibited by MeJA. DaH6H was expressed in E. coli and a 39 kD recombinant protein was detected in SDS-PAGE. Comparison of the contents of scopolamine and hyoscyamine in various TAs-producing plants revealed that D. arborea was one of the rare scopolamine predominant plants. Cloning of DaH6H gene will allow more research in the molecular regulatory mechanism of TAs biosynthesis in distinct plants and provide a new candidate gene for scopolamine metabolic engineering.

BackgroundHypoxia-inducible factor-1 α (HIF-1α) specific double-stranded RNA ( dsRNA ) mediated by liposome inhibit reinal neovascularization in mice at dose-dependent manner. ObjectiveThe present study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of dsRNA targeting HIF-1α on retinal neovascularization in mice.MethodsModels of oxygen-induced retinal neovascularization were set up in C57BL/6J mouse through exposure of postnatal day 7 ( P7 ) to (75±3) ％ oxygen for 5 days.Fluorescein conjugated Dextran angiography of retinal vascular was performed to identify the retinal neovascularization.The 8 mice of the normal group were raised in the room air.Fifty-one P7 mice exposed to(75±3)％ oxygen for 5 days and then returned to the room air and assigned to control group ( 3 mice),empty vector group( 3 mice) and gene therapy group (45 mice),and the latter were medially divided to 9 groups randomly according to dose-ratio ( liposomes ∶ plasmid).The pSilencer 2.1-U6 hygro was injected in the model mice of empty vector group,and different dose-ratios of pSilencer2.1-U6 hygro-HIF-1α dsRNA were injected respectively in the model mice of various gene therapy groups.Fluorescein conjugated Dextran angiography of retinal vascular was performed to observe the morphology of new blood vessels,and retinal slides were prepared to score the numbers of nuclei extending beyond the inner limiting membrane( ILM ),and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) was detected in the retina by immunohistochemistry.Results The retinal blood vessels of the normal group formed a fined radial branching pattern.The retinal vascular patterns in the control group and the empty vector group were characterized by decreased central perfusion in both the superficial and the deep layers.The abundant vessels were distorted and irregular in the control group and empty vector group,and the obstructed capillary and lots of neovascular tufts were seen.The retinal neovascularization and non-perfusion distraction in the every gene therapy group were reduced markedly with the most severe appearance in 1 ∶ 1 ( liposomes ∶ plasmid) dose-ratio group.Few vascular endothelial cell nucleus extending beyond the ILM were found in the normal group;while a large number of vascular endothelial cell nucleus were showed in the control group and empty vector group with the occurring rate 100％.Statistically,no significant difference was seen in the number of nuclei extending beyond the ILM between the control group and the empty vector group(11.57±5.85 vs 11.53±6.15),however,that in 1∶1 (liposomes∶plasmid) group was reduced markedly ( 2.17 ± 4.23 ) ( P ＜ 0.01 ).Immunohistochemistry revealed that VEGF was faintly expressed in the normal group but strongly expressed in the control group and the gene therapy group.VEGF expressions of various gene therapy groups were weaker than ones of the control group and the empty vector group.ConclusionsRetinal neovascularization can be efficiently inhibited by intravitreal injection of the pSilencer2.1-U6 hygro-HIF-1α dsRNA mediated by liposome.Proportion of 1 ∶ 1 (liposomes ∶ plasmid)has a maximized efficiency.

The quarantine inspection and acceptance of laboratory animals is an important work, which can protect animals from pollution, occurrence and spread of diseases in the surounding area, and it is the key point to realize the quality standardization of laboratory animals.Beagle dogs are acknowledged widely as specialized laboratory dogs which is widely employed in experiments of drug safety evaluation because of the good genetic stability, environmental adaptability, disease resistance and consistency testing in the experiments.Establishment of standard operating procedures of beagle dog quarantine acceptance check for drug GLP organization tests, refining technical points, strengthen the technical training of quarantine officers, and efforts to improve the level of quarantine are needed to finally ensure the quality of laboratory animals.