Objective To assess the right ventricular (RV) performance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (2-DM) by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI),and to explore the clinical value of RV longitudinal strain and strain rate.Methods Thirty-seven patients with 2-DM only and thirtyone patients coexisting diabetes and hypertension (DM + HTN) were studied.Thirty-nine healthy age matched persons served as control subjects.In each patient a conventional two-dimensional echocardiography was performed and also an echocardiographic study with strain/strain rate imaging was studied.Analysis of RV longitudinal systolic strain were obtained in the apical four-chamber view of the RV for the assessment of the RV free wall(F-PLSS),interventricular septum (S-PLSS) and the global RV wall (G-PLSS).The entire RV longitudinal peak systolic strain rate (G-SRs),peak early-diastolic strain rate (G-SRe) and peak late-diastolic strain rate (G-SRa) were performed in the apical four-chamber view.Results Compared with controls,F-PLSS,S-PLSS,G-PLSS,G-SRs and G-SRe were decreased in 2-DM and DM + HTN (all P ＜0.01),with lower values in DM + HTN (P ＜0.05).In the patients coexisting diabetes and hypertension,G-SRa was significantly lower than those in the control group (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with 2-DM,this difference was not significant in controls and DM + HTN (P ＞0.05).Conclusions No matte the patients of 2-DM with or without hypertension,the early changes of RV dysfunction can be found by 2D-STI.Patients coexisting diabetes and hypertension may have worse RV dysfunction.

Objective To investigate the reliability of a novel rating scale, unified multiple system atrophy rating scale, section Ⅰ(UMSARS-Ⅰ) in the evaluation of illness severity in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). Methods A retrospective analysis and a prospective follow-up study were conducted by using UMSARS-Ⅰ in 46 patients with MSA, and the Schwab and England scale was employed and illness severity was graded. The reliability, validity and sensitivity to change of UMSARS-Ⅰ in evaluating the illness severity of MSA were estimated. Results UMSARS-Ⅰ enjoyed high internal consistency (standard Crohnbach's ?=0.88) and sound content, criterion-related, construct and discriminant validity in the evaluation of illness severity of MSA, and a moderate sensiti-vity to change was found(effect size=0.61). Conclusion UMSARS-Ⅰ is a reliable and multidimensional semi-quantitative scale in the measurement of severity and progression of impairment in MSA.

Objective To investigate the association between arsenic(+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT) genetic polymorphism and susceptibility to endemic arsenism.Methods Polymerase chain reactionrestriction fragment length polymorphism-single strand conformation polymorphism(PCR-RFLP-SSCP) technology was performed to detect mutations of AS3MT gene intron 8 and exon 9 in genome DNA of the 79 cases and 110 controls.PCR products with abnormal band forms were further sequenced to find the types and sites of mutation.Chi-square test and multivariate Logistic analyses were conducted.Results The incidence of the 9149 base mutation(A→C) in AS3MT gene intron 8(AS3MT-9149) in case group(19.0％,15/79) was lower than that in control group (23.6％,26/110).The incidence of the codon 287 mutation(ATG→AT/CG) in AS3MT gene exon 9(AS3MT-287)in case group(10.1％,8/79) was lower than that in control group (11.8％,13/110).However,statistical analysis indicated no significant difference in both mutations between two groups[AS3MT-9149:odds ratio(OR) =0.59,95％ confidence interval(CI):0.26-1.31,P =0.195; AS3MT-287:OR =0.85,95％ CI:0.32-230,P =0.751].Conclusions There are no significant association between the genetic polymorphisms of AS3MT-9149,AS3MT-287 and the susceptibility to endemic arsenism.Similarly,due to small sample amount,we can not exclude the possibility that these gene polymorphisms are related to susceptibility to endemic arsenism.

Animals ; Antibody-Producing Cells ; drug effects ; Female ; Immunity ; drug effects ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Phenols ; toxicity ; T-Lymphocytes ; drug effects

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is a non-selective positive ion channel that is mainly expressed in sensory neurons and a member of transient receptor potential (TRP) family. The receptor could be activated by mechanical irritation, chemical irritation or endogenous ligand to mediate pains and cause injury to body functions. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the mechanism of pain is that "stagnation leads to pain". Specifically, both of the contracture and tautness caused by cold and the blood stasis could result in blood impassability and pain. Most of traditional Chinese medicines for clearing heat and removing toxicity have the anti-inflammatory effect, while those for warming interior, and promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis have the effect in smoothening blood vessels. Therefore, either with the anti-inflammatory effect or the effect in smoothening blood vessels, traditional Chinese medicines for clearing heat and removing toxicity, warming interior, and promoting blood circulation have the analgesic effect In this paper, the authors summarize the analgesic effect of the above three traditional Chinese medicines, with TRPV1 as the target.
Analgesics ; administration & dosage ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Pain ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; TRPV Cation Channels ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; metabolism

Biomarkers ; blood ; Biopsy, Needle ; utilization ; Hepatitis C ; complications ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; diagnosis ; pathology

BACKGROUND: It has been verified in the experiments over the past that the self-prepared Chinese herb, fuzhisan can retard natural aging in rats, suggesting that such drug acts on anti-aging.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of optimum effective concentration of nerve cell cultured with fuzhisan on morphological alternation of neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell.DESIGN: Repeated measurement.MATERIALS: The experiment was performed in Beijing Key Laboratory Room of Cerebral Aging of Xuanwu Hospital Affiliated to Capital University of Medical Sciences from June 2002 to April 2003. Self-prepared Chinese herb, fuzhisan [composed of 6 herbs, such as shichangbu (Rhizoma Acori Graminei), yuanzhi (Radix Polygalae), etc.] was co-developed by Prof.Wang De-shen from Department of Neurology of First Clinical Medical College of Harbin Medical University and Prof. Xu Xiao-yun from Department of Neurology of Shanghai Oriental Hospital. In addition, amyloid βprotein 25-35 segment and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma were provided.METHODS: Fuzhisan of various concentrations were used for incubation of neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell. Thiazolyl blue (MTT), colorimetric method was used to determine the cell survival rate. Dose-effect relationship curve was drawn up to search optimum drug concentration. The cells cultured with 6-pore plate were divided into normal control, amyloid β-protein 25-35 25 μmol/L group, amyloid β-protein 25-35 25 μmol/L + fuzhisan 45×10-3 g/L groups and fuzhisan 45×10-3 g/L group. They were incubated for 24 hours to observe cell morphological alternation and determine neurosome area and axon length.ery group.length of every group: Those in amyloid β-protein 25-35 25 μmol/L group were decreased remarkably than the normal control [(505.5 ±122.36),(599.8 ±141.25) μm2; (26.0±13.97), (36.5 ±15.58) μm, (t =3.903,3.447, P=0.000)]. Those in fuzhisan 45×10-3g/L group and amyloid β-protein 25-35 25 μmol/L + fuzhisan 45×10-3 g/L group were increased remarkably than amyloid β-protein 25-35 25 μmol/L group [(918.3±178.34),(896.6 ±257.14), (505.5 ±122.36) μm2; (96.8 ±43.31), (88.3 ±30.23),(26.0±13.97) μm, (t=10.922, 14.172, P=-0.000)].CONCLUSION: With injury of amyloid β-protein 25-35, fuzhisan still enhances the survival of cultured nerve cell, manifested as promoting the increase of neurosome area and axonal extension.

BACKGROUND: Amyloid β(Aβ) protein is the core of senile plaque.Being the toxic segment of Aβ, Aβ25-35 has been extensively applied in the experiments of recent years. The research in the past has verified that the self-prepared Chinese herb, fuzhisan can promote the survival of the cultured neural cells and probably acts on the treatment of Alzheimer disease (AD).OBJECTIVE: To study the resistance of fuzhisan to Aβ25-35 toxicity to cultured neural cells and the probable approaches.DESIGN: Repeated measurement based on the cells.SETTING: Department of neurology of a university hospital and key experimental room in brain aging in a university hospital.MATERIALS: The experiment was performed in Beijing Key Experimental Room in Brain Aging of Xuanwu Hospital from June 2002 to April 2003. Dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cell of neuroblastoma and Aβ25-35 were employed. Chinese herb, fuzhisan was decocted with mild fire and its upper clear solution was collected and prepared into storage solution at the concentration of 0. 5 g/mL. Antibody: Beijing Key Experimental Room in Brain Aging of Xuanwu Hospital prepared cAMP responsive element binding protein(CREB),Bcl-2 in B lymphatic leukaemia-2 genetic product and cytochrome C(CytC).METHODS: SH-SY5Y cell was incubated with Aβ25-35 of various doses alone or in combination with fuzhisan and was compared with blank control. MTF metabolic rate of cultured neural cells were determined under different incubation conditions. Western-blot method was used to measure the protein expression changes in incubation with fuzhisanalone, incubation with Aβ25-35 alone and the combination incubation, compared with the blank control.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: It was to study MTT metabolic rate in the comparison between each experimental group and the blank control and expressions of CREB, Bcl-2 and CytC relevant to survival/death of neural cells.RESULTS: Survival rate of SH-SY5Y cell was increased by 11.4% in incubation with fuzhisan alone. It was remarkably improved in incubation combining fu zhisan with Aβ25-35 as compared with Aβ25-35 alone. The expressions of CREB and Bcl-2 in Aβ25-35 group were decreased and were increased in fuzhisan group. CytC expression in cytoplasm was increased in Aβ25-35 group and was declined with fuzhisan incubation.CONCLUSION: Fuzhisan promotes the survival of cultured neural cells and its protection is still existed under Aβ25-35 injury. Fuzhisan brings such effects into play probably by the protein expressions relevant to survival/death of cells.

Objective To investigate rheumatic disease manifestations in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and explore possible causes.Methods Nine myelodysplastic syndromes(MDS)inpatients with rheumatic disease manifestations were reviewed retrospectively.Results Nine patients with the diagnosis of MDS had active rheumatic disease manifestations with various degree of hypergammaglobulinemia and positive autoantibodies.Two patients had rheumatoid arthritis(RA)and RA+anti-phospholipid syndrome(APS),four systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)and SLE+polymyositis(PM),one patients had adult onset Still's disease, one with acute arthritis and cutaneous vassulitis,one had lupus-like manifestations including polyserositis,al- buminuria,hypocomplementemia and positive Commb's test.Conclusion The rheumatic disease manifesta- tions in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes are characterized by various active rheumatic disease manifes- tation.Immunological abnormalities and ineffective hematopoiesis are persistent.Immunologic abnormalities in MDS such as impaired function of T and B cells,hypergammaglobulinemia,positive autoantibodies,may be the causes of various rheumatic manifestations.We suggest that there is a significant association between myeludys- plastic syndrome and rheumatic diseases.

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of needling gluteus medius muscle trigger point (TrP) plus chiropractic for sacroiliac joint subluxation.Methods:A total of 124 cases conforming to the inclusion criteria of sacroiliac joint subluxation were classified by anterior subluxation and posterior subluxation,and randomized into a TrP group and a conventional group respectively.There were 63 patients with anterior subluxation who were randomized into a TrP group of 32 cases (including 4 dropped out cases) and a conventional group of 31 cases (including 3 dropped out cases);and 61 patients with posterior subluxation who were randomized into a TrP group of 31 cases (including 3 dropped out cases) and a conventional group of 30 cases (including 3 dropped out cases).Patients in the TrP group received the treatment of needling gluteus medius muscle TrP plus chiropractic,while patients in the conventional group received conventional acupuncture treatment plus chiropractic.The treatment was done twice a week for a succession of 8 weeks.Then,the pain visual analog scale (VAS),Oswestry disability index (ODI) and therapeutic efficacy were evaluated.Results:After treatment,the total effective rate of TrP group with anterior subluxation was 96.9％,higher than 77.4％ in the conventional group,the difference showed a statistical significance (P＜0.05);the total effective rate was 93.5％ in the TrP group with posterior subluxation,higher than 73.3％ in the conventional group.After treatment,the VAS and ODI scores in both groups dropped obviously,the differences showed statistical significance (all P＜0.05);the scores of VAS and ODI in the TrP group were obviously lower than those in the conventional group (all P＜0.05).Conclusion:Needling gluteus medius muscle TrP plus chiropractic had a better therapeutic effect than conventional acupuncture plus chiropractic for sacroiliac joint subluxation.