Objective To study the cerebral energy metabolism changes of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) through hydrogen magnetic resonance spectroscopy examination (1 HMRS ) and its relationship with partial pressure of oxygen / carbon dioxide tension.Methods Totally 13 cases of AECOPD patients and 10 cases of age-matched healthy people underwent HMRS examination.The ratios of n-acetyl-aspartate(NAA)/creatine(Cr),choline (Cho)/Cr,myo-inositol(MI)/Cr of parieto-temporal and occipital areas of brain were detected.Blood gas analysis were also used to detect partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and carbon dioxide (PaCO2).Results NAA / Cr of parieto-temporal and occipital areas of brain (1.32±0.12,1.48±0.12) were lower in AECOPD group than those in control group (1.45±0.11,1.58±0.10) (P＜ 0.05),MI/Cr (0.23±0.07,0.30±0.11) were also decreased compared with control group (0.40±0.14,0.46±0.12) (P＜ 0.01),while Cho/Cr of parieto -temporal and occipital areas of brain between the AECOPD group and control group showed no significant difference (P＞0.05).NAA/Cr of parieto temporal and occipital areas of brain were positively correlated with PaO2 (r=0.46 and 0.44),and MI/Cr of these areas of brain were also positively related with PaO2 (r=0.63 and 0.50),but MI / Cr of parieto tempora was negatively correlated with PaCO2 (r =- 0.472). Conclusions Cerebral metabolite changes may occur in AECOPD patients,and this has relationship with hypoxia and carbon dioxide retention.

OBJECTIVETo investigate clinical effects of strategy by stages for preventing respiratory complications of patients with acute cervical spinal cord injury (ACSCI).

METHODSFrom September 2009 to May 2013,the clinical data of 91 patients with ACSCI underwent surgery were retrospectively analyzed. Among the patients, 42 patients were divided into in-stages group, including 30 males and 12 females with an average age of 50 years old (ranged 28 to 76) which were treated with strategy by stages for preventing respiratory complications; others 49 patients which were not treated with the strategy regarded as control group, including 38 males and 11 females with an average age of 47 years old (ranged 30 to 77). All of them had definite history of trauma, and were admitted to orthopaedics within 48 h after trauma. In in-stages group, respiratory muscle strength training, high-dose ambroxol using and other treatment were performed to prevent respiratory complilcations according to preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative stage. While in control group, there were no systematic and effective measures utilized. Chi-square test was used to evaluate the difference for respiratory complications rate, the rate of tracheostomy or intubation and mortality caused by the respiratory complications between two groups.

RESULTSTen patients developed with respiratory complications in in-stages group (7 patients with pneumonia, 1 with atelectasis and 2 with respiratory failure), among which 3 patients underwent tracheostomy or intubation. In control group, 24 patients developed with respiratory complilcations (15 with pneumonia,3 with atelectasis and 6 with respiratory failure), among which 11 patients underwent tracheostomy or intubation. There was significant difference between two groups (χ2 = 6.12, 4.07; P = 0.013, 0.044). Five patients died because of respiratory complications, one case were in in-stages group and 4 in control group. There was significant difference between two groups (χ2 = l.39, P = 0.238).

CONCLUSIONThe strategy by stages is an effective method for preventing respiratory complications of ACSCI and can reduce the respiratory complications rate and improve the prognosis of respiratory complications.

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Aged ; Cervical Cord ; injuries ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonia ; prevention & control ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; prevention & control ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; prevention & control ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; complications ; Tracheostomy

Aged ; Coal Mining ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoconiosis ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; Pulmonary Heart Disease ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate of the regulatory effect of Rho-kinase pathway activation on angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced contraction of human airway smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) in vitro.

METHODSCultured primary HASMCs were divided into control group, AngII group, AngII + irbesartan group and AngII + Y-27632 group with corresponding treatment. AngII-induced contraction of HASMCs was evaluated using collagen gel lattices and observed morphologically using immunofluorescence assay. Western Blotting was significantly performed to examine the protein expression of Rho-kinase signal pathway.

RESULTSAngII-induced HASMC contraction was inhibited by treatments with irbesartan and Y-27632 as shown by gel contraction assay (P<0.001). Y-27632 treatment produced a stronger inhibitory effect than irbesartan on the expression of phosphorylated moesin, a substrate of Rho kinase (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONAngII induces the contraction of HASMCs partially as a result of activation of Rho-kinase pathway.

Amides ; pharmacology ; Angiotensin II ; pharmacology ; Asthma ; physiopathology ; Biphenyl Compounds ; pharmacology ; Bronchi ; cytology ; Humans ; Muscle Contraction ; drug effects ; Muscle, Smooth ; cytology ; Primary Cell Culture ; Pyridines ; pharmacology ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Tetrazoles ; pharmacology ; rho-Associated Kinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo assess whether there is a short negative psychological influence on adolescent patients at the beginning of the fixed orthodontic treatment.

METHODS150 patients (average 14.8 years old) were selected. All the patients accepted the fixed appliance treatment. They completed a questionnaire regarding anxiety and depression at the first day when they came to the hospital (T1) and 7 days after fixed appliance insertion (T2). 129 effective questionnaires were received. The scales of anxiety and depression of subjects were assessed according to the questionnaires.

RESULTSComparing the scales of questionnaires before treatment (T1) and 7 days after placement of fixed appliance (T2), there was a significant increase in anxiety and depression scales in female patients, extraction cases and patients who were unwilling to see an orthodontist.

CONCLUSIONThere is a certain extent of negative psychological influence on adolescent patients during fixed orthodontic treatment. At the first week after the placement of fixed appliance, three kinds of subjects, female patients, extraction cases and patients who were unwilling to see an orthodontist would suffer from anxiety and depression in emotional reflection.

Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Orthodontic Appliances ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo explore the main point of nursing acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with oral lesions.

METHODSTo analyze and to summarize nursing experience through 2 patients suffering from AIDS with oral lesions.

RESULTS2 AIDS patients changed for the better through disinfection isolation, oral nursing, psychology nursing and education propaganda.

CONCLUSIONThe standard nursing skills is important to AIDS patients, doctors and nurses.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha) on syndecan-4 protein expression and proliferation of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial-like cells (HUVECs) in vitro.

METHODSHUVECs exposed to different concentrations of TNF-alpha(100, 20, 10, and 1 ng/ml) were cultured for 24 h and 36 h to observe their proliferation in comparison with the control group. The cell proliferation rate was determined by non-radioactive MTS/PES assay. The expression of syndecan-4 protein was evaluated by immunoblotting technique using anti-syndecan-4 antibody. Results The proliferation rate of the endothelial-like cells was 1.956-/+0.214 in the control group, and 2.154-/+0.250, 2.260-/+0.151, 2.118-/+0.205 and 2.106-/+0.136 in TNF-alpha-treated groups corresponding to TNF-alpha concentrations of 100, 20, 10 and 1 ng/ml at 24 h, respectively. It was shown that TNF-alpha significantly stimulated cell proliferation at the concentration above 1 ng/ml (P<0.05) as compared with the control group (P<0.05). The proliferation rate of the endothelial-like cell was 1.915-/+0.236 in the control group, and 2.067-/+0.328, 2.207-/+0.150, 2.052-/+0.126 and 2.051-/+0.180 in TNF-alpha-treated groups corresponding to TNF-alphaconcentrations of 100, 20, 10 and 1 ng/ml at 36 h, respectively. The expression of syndecan-4 protein was significantly enhanced by TNF-alpha.

CONCLUSIONSTNF-alpha can stimulate HUVEC proliferation, and expression of syndean-4 may represent an additional component of the pro-inflammatory, growth-stimulating pathways that are activated in response to changes in the vascular wall.

Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Endothelial Cells ; metabolism ; Humans ; Syndecan-4 ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; pharmacology ; Umbilical Veins ; cytology

To study the constituents from the chloroform extract of the roots of Lasianthus acuminatissimus Merr., various chromatographic techniques were used to separate and purify the constituents. The structure was established on the basis of ID, 2D NMR and HRMS spectroscopic analysis. A new compound was isolated and identified, which was 3, 8-dihydroxy-1-methoxy-2-methoxymethyl-9,10-anthraquinone (I). Compound I is a new anthraquinone, namely lasianthurin.
Anthraquinones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Conformation ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rubiaceae ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efifcacy of percutaneous ventricular partitioning (PVP) in ischemic heart failure (IHF) patients with apical aneurysm. Methods: A total of 19 IHF patients with apical aneurysm at the age of (68.1 ± 8.2) years were enrolled. The patients received PVP operation with adequate clinical and medical imaging examinations; the safety of operation was evaluated and post-operative clinical events with cardiac function were followed-up. Results: There were 18/19 (95%) patients with successful PVP and 1 had to stop the operation due to unsatisfactory landing of ventricular partitioning device. 2 patients suffered from vessel access related complication and received femoral artery stent implantation. With (252 ± 170) days follow-up study, no post-operative device failure, cardiac death, thromboembolism and HF re-hospitalization occurred. At 3 months after operation, the patients had improved NYHA classiifcation (2.72 ± 0.67) vs (1.67 ± 0.59) and 6 min walk test (462 ± 96) m vs (484 ± 87) m, bothP<0.01. Echocardiography indicated that post-operative left ventricle end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI) decreased form (137.4 ± 19.1) ml/m2 to (125.6 ± 18.5) ml/m2,P=0.0056 and LVESVI decreased from (89.7 ± 22.3) ml/m2 to (78.8 ± 20.7) ml/m2,P=0.0019; while LVEF increased from (34.8 ± 8.13) % to (41.3 ± 6.2) %, P=0.031. Conclusion: Our preliminary experience showed that with adequate evaluation, PVP was safe and effective in IHF patients with apical aneurysm; short-term follow-up study implied the improved hemodynamic and cardiac function.

To investigate the mechanisms of the telomerase regulations during the apoptosis of the human MDS-RAEB cell line MUTZ-1 cells induced by arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)), telomerase activity was detected by TRAP-ELISA and the expressions of mRNAs of hTERT, TRF1 (TTAGGG repeat binding factor 1), TRF2 (TTAGGG repeat binding factor 2), bcl-2, and bax genes were detected by RT-PCR. Apoptosis was detected by translocation of phosphatidylserine (PS) by flow cytometry. The results showed that 1 - 8 micromol/L of As(2)O(3) induced typical apoptosis of MUIZ-1 cells in the dose-and time-dependent manners, the telomerase activity could be down-regulated at this concentration and negatively correlated with increased apoptosis (r = -0.938, P = 0.018). The expression of telomerase activity was positively related to the expression of hTERT (r = 0.783, P = 0.022), but As(2)O(3) had no effect on the mRNA expression of TRF1 and TRF2 genes. The inhibition of telomerase activity by As(2)O(3) on MUTZ-1 cells was accompanied with the low expression of bcl-2 gene and the decrease of bcl-2/bax ratio. It is concluded that the apoptosis of MUTZ-1cells induced by As(2)O(3) may occur via the inhibition of telomerase activity and down-regulation of the expression of hTERT mRNA, and this may be one of the mechanisms inducing apoptosis in MUTZ-1 cells treated by As(2)O(3).
Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Arsenicals ; pharmacology ; Cell Line ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Flow Cytometry ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Humans ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Oxides ; pharmacology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Telomerase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Telomeric Repeat Binding Protein 2 ; genetics ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; genetics