[Objective] To explore the effect of early treatment of Chinese herbal medicine on the long-term prognosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) . [Methods] One hundred and fifty-seven AMI patients were divided into two groups according to the treatment during the hospitalization: 129 patients treated with Chinese herbal medicine and western medicine were in group A, and 28 patients treated with western medicine only were in group B. Statistical analysis of age, sex, infarction location, complications and medical history was made in all of the patients. A follow-up survey was made to investigate the subsistence of the patients and the incidences of all the events (including death and severe cardio-cerebrovascular events) . [Results] With the death as the end event, the survival graph of group A was higher than group B (P=0.1166); when with all the severe events as the end event, the survival graph of group A was still higher ( P=0.048) .[Conclusion] The probability of incidences of severe events including death in group A is lower than that in group B.

Objective To investigate the effect of vascular inner diameter and artery flow velocity on the flow of internal arteriovenous fistula. Methods Sixty-two patients received the operation of internal fistula were enrolled. According to the inner diameter (Group A: d ≤ 1.5 mm, Group B: 1.5 mm < d ≤ 2.0 mm, Group C: 2.0 mm < d ≤ 3.0 mm, Group D: d > 3.0 mm), the patients were divided into four groups in terms of artery flow velocity (Group a: v ≤ 20 cm/s, Group b:20 cm/s < v≤50 cm/s, Group c:50 cm/s < v ≤ 100 cm/s, Group d:v > 100 cm/s), the differences of fistula and dialysis flow for two months were analyzed among various groups. Results Compared with Group B/b, patients in Group A/a had higher risk of operation failure, with lowered inner fistula flow and dialysis flow. In terms of inner venous diameter , there were significant differences between Group B and C. Conclusions It is not recommended to carry out the inner vascular fistula operation. Followed with the thickening and increasing of inner artery diameter and artery flow , the inner fistula flow and the dialysis flow increase. The inner venous diameter has no significant impact on the inner fistula flow.

Objective To observe the clinical effect and safety of Wenxin formula in the treatment of stable coronary heart disease angina patients with Syndrome of Yang deficiency with stagnation of the Blood and retention of Phlegm (SYBP). Methods A total of 65 stable coronary heart disease angina patients with SYBP were randomly assigned to the trial group and the control group (34 in the trial group and 31 in the control group). The trial group was treated with Wenxin formula, while the control group was treated with atorvastatin. The treatment lasted 4 weeks. The therapeutic effects on angina, reduction of Nitroglycerin, changes of electrocardiogram (ECG) and TCM syndrome score were observed before and after treatment.ResultsAfter treatment, the trial group had a similar effect with the control group in the aspects of the therapeutic effects on angina, reduction of Nitroglycerin and the ECG change. There was no statistical difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The changes of TCM syndrome score in the trial group was superior to the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rates of the trial group and the control group were 88.2% and 74.2%. The significant efficiency of the treatment group (29.41%) was significantly superior to the control group (9.68%) (P<0.05). No adverse reaction occurred during the therapeutic course.Conclusions The Wenxin formula was safe and effective in the treatment of stable coronary heart disease angina patients with SYBP.

This article was aimed to study the therapeutic effect of Chinese medicine Kun-Bao-W an (KBW) on sleep disorders among ovariectomized mice. A total of 60 female KM of adult mice were randomly divided into four groups, which were the sham-operated group, model group, diazepam group, and KBW group, with 15 rats in each group. Rats in the sham-operated group were only removed small amount of fatty tissue around the ovaries. Bilateral oophorectomy was given on mice in other groups. In the KBW group, 28 days after the operation, KBW was intragastrically administered (1.667 g·kg-1) every day for 28 days. Mice in the diazepam group were intragas-trically administered (1.25 g·kg-1) 1 h before testing. The observation was made on effects of KBW on locomotor activity, sleeping time of mice induced by pentobarbital sodium and the organ coefficients of uterus. The results showed that compared with sham-operated group, locomotor activity and rearing behavior increased obviously in the model group (P < 0.01). The diazepam group can significantly reduce locomotor activity in ovariectomized mice (P < 0.01), and decrease the number of rearing behavior mildly with no statistical difference. KBW can reduce lo-comotor activity mildly but without effect on rearing behavior in ovariectomized mice. Diazepam can markedly pro-long the pentobarbital sleep time in ovariectomized mice (P < 0.01). KBW can prolong the pentobarbital sleep time and shorten the process of falling into sleep mildly with no statistical difference. There was no significant ef-fect on organ coefficients of uterus in ovariectomized mice by KBW or diazepam. It was concluded that KBW had mild effect on improving sleep disorders in ovariectomized mice.

This article was aimed to study the sedative and hypnotic effects of different eluents of Shuangxiatang (SXT). The effects of SXT water decoction, water eluent, 20%, 70% and 95% alcohol eluent on spontaneous ac-tivity and the sleeping induced by subthreshold dose of pentobarbital sodium were measured. The results showed that the SXT decoction, 20% and 95% alcohol eluent can significantly decrease the number of rearing in mice with the percentage of 78.5%, 78.3% and 62.5%, respectively. SXT water eluent and 70% alcohol eluent can significantly decrease the spontaneous activity of mice (P < 0.01), the number of rearing (P < 0.01) and grooming time (P < 0.05). SXT water decoction can significantly shorten sleep latency (P < 0.05), prolong sleep time (P <0.05), and increase rates of sleeping in mice. SXT water eluent can significantly shorten sleep latency in mice (P< 0.05), increase rates of sleeping in mice. SXT water decoction and water eluent have the sedative and hypnotic effects. And the effects are more than alcohol eluents.

OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively detect variation in regional myocardial systolic function in heart failure rat model induced by myocardial infarction by strain and strain rate imaging. METHODS: Seventy 2-month-old adult male SD rats were randomly assigned to 4 groups: a 4-week and a 8-week group after the operation (each n = 25) had thoracotomy, the pericardium opened and the anterior descending branch of left coronary artery ligated; a sham operation group (n = 10) had thoracotomy and the arcula cordis opened, but did not ligate the artery; a control group (n = 10) had no treatment. The changes of general state of health of the rats were observed and recorded every day. To assess the change of heart function, echocardiography was used at the end of the 4th week and 8th week after the surgery. To evaluate the change of heart function in heart failure rats, we quantitatively analyzed the regional myocardial systolic function in all rats by strain and strain rate imaging and myocardium to detect the level of MMP-9 at the end of the 4th week and 8th week. The repeatability and discrepancies of the results were all analyzed. RESULTS: Obviously objective signs of heart failure manifested themselves in the survived mice 10 to 14 days after the surgery. Compared with the control group and the sham operation group, the fraction shortening (FS) and ejection fraction (EF) of the 4-week group after the operation were lower (P < 0.05), the left ventricle index (LV index) of the 8-week group after the operation was higher, left ventricle posterior wall index (LVPW index), interventricular septum index (IVS index), FS, and EF of the 8-week group after the operation were lower (P < 0.05), EF and FS of the 8-week group after the operation were lower than those of the 4-week group. Except the mid-inferior wall and base-inferior wall, the systolic peak strain, systolic peak strain rate, the strain of end-systole in all segments of the operation group were lower than those of the other 2 groups (P < 0.05). The post-systolic strain index of the operation group was higher than that of the other 2 groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Strain and strain rate imaging of echocardiography can quantitatively evaluate the changing of regional myocardial systolic function in the heart failure rat model induced by myocardial infarction, with good repeatability.
Animals ; Heart Failure ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Heart Ventricles ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Systole ; Ultrasonography ; Ventricular Function, Left ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo examine the expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 1 (NOD1), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and human beta-defensins in candidal albicans leukoplakia and to investigate the effect of candida albicans infection on key proteins in NOD1 signaling pathway and the expression of human beta-defensin.

METHODSForty cases of oral leukoplakia samples were collected and stained by hematoxylin-eosin staining, periodic acid-Schiff staining, silver staining and immunohistochemical methods. Nineteen samples were positive with these four methods and judged as candidal albicans leukoplakia, and the other twenty- one samples judged as leukoplakia without candidal albicans infection. Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of NOD1 and NF-κB in these forty samples. In addition, the immunohistochemical method was adopted to investigate the relationship between NOD1, NF-κB, human beta-defensin 1, 2, 3 expressions and candida albicans.

RESULTSThe positive rate of candida albicans in oral leukoplakia was 48% (19/40). The expressions of NOD1 and NF-κB in the candida albicans leukoplakia were lower than that in leukoplakia without candida albicans infection. The mean optical density value of NOD1, NF-κB, human beta-defensin 1, 2, 3 in candidal albicans leukoplakia were 0.25 ± 0.01, 0.30 ± 0.02, 0.35 ± 0.02, 0.42 ± 0.03, 0.36 ± 0.02 respectively, which were significantly lower than that in leukoplakia without candida albicans infection (0.31 ± 0.02, 0.47 ± 0.03, 0.42 ± 0.02, 0.53 ± 0.04, 0.47 ± 0.03) (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSBy inhibiting the NOD1 signaling pathway, candida albicans infection may reduce the expression level of human beta-defensin 1, 2, 3 in oral leukoplakia.

Blotting, Western ; Candida albicans ; Candidiasis ; metabolism ; Humans ; Leukoplakia, Oral ; metabolism ; NF-kappa B ; biosynthesis ; Nod1 Signaling Adaptor Protein ; biosynthesis ; Nucleotides ; Signal Transduction ; beta-Defensins ; biosynthesis

Objective To observe the changes of potassium ion (K+), lactic acid (Lac) and glucose (Glu) in swine with traumatic hemorrhagic shock (THS) inside the dry-heat environment and to explore its possible mechanism. Methods A total of 40 local Landrace piglets were randomly(random number) divided equally into 4 groups: the normal temperature sham operation group (NS), the normal temperature traumatic hemorrhagic shock group (NTHS), the dry-heat sham operation group (DS group) and the dry-heat traumatic hemorrhagic shock group (DTHS). The experiment was carried out in the artifi cia climate cabin simulated the special environment of northwest of China. After exposed to their respective environment[dry-heat environment: (40.5±0.5), plus(10±2)% humidity; normal temperature environment: (25±0.5), plus(35±5)% humidity] for 3 h. Laparotomy were performed in swine of all groups, and then splenectomy and partial hepatectomy were performed only in NTHS and DTHS. The process of exsanguination from the external iliac artery was established to make the MAP reaching to 40-50 mmHg, and thus the traumatic hemorrhagic shock model of swine was successfully made. Blood samples were collected from external iliac artery at different intervals including the time just after exposure for 3 h and the successful establishment of traumatic hemorrhagic shock model (0 h) and then every 30 min after 0 h, serum levels of K+, Lac and Glu were detected. The features of varied serum K+, Lac and Glu were observed in each group. All data were statistically analyzed using One-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation analysis. Results After exposed , the level of serum K+inside the dry-heat environment was higher than that of swine inside the normal temperature group ( P<0.01), however the Glu level was lower in the swine inside dry-heat environment than that of swine inside the normal temperature ( P<0.01).The level of serum K+and Lac of DTHS group were rapidly increased from the establishment of the model to the death in about 3 h, while those of NTHS group were increased slowly. The level of K+and Lac were positively correlated in the two groups amd the correlation coeffi cient were rDTHS=0.927 (P<0.01) and rNTHS=0.539 (P<0.01),respectively. The level of Glu was progressively decrease in DTHS group, while in NTHS group, it was not noticeable. The level of K+and Glu were negatively correlated in the two group, the correlation coeffi cient were rDTHS=-0.804 (P<0.01) and rNTHS=0.420 (P<0.01),respectively. Conclusions The changes of serum K+, Lac and Glu occurred sooner and more obvious in traumatic hemorrhagic shock models inside dry heat environment (DTHS) group than those in NTHS group. The level of serum K+positively correlated with Lac, however, negatively correlated with Glu, which suggested that hyperkalemia and acidosis should be paid more attention to the treatment of traumatic hemorrhagic shock inside the dry heat environment, and the hypoglycemia should be treated at the same time.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of arsenic trioxide-loaded CalliSpheres beads (CBATO) in transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the treatment of rabbits with VX2 liver tumor. MethodsA total of 120 tumor-bearing rabbits were divided into control group, CalliSpheres beads (CB) group (blank beads for TACE), CBATO group, and conventional TACE (cTACE) group (arsenic trioxide lipiodol for TACE) using a random number table, with 30 rabbits in each group. Five rabbits in each group were sacrificed at 12 hours and on days 3, 7, and 14 after TACE, and immunohistochemistry was used to measure the proliferation index and apoptosis percentage of tumor cells in the residual tumor area. The tumor necrotic volume was measure on day 7 after TACE, and the growth rate and necrosis rate of tumor cells were calculated. Ten rabbits were randomly selected from each group for the observation of survival time. An analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups; the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to evaluate survival time, and the log-rank test was used for comparison. ResultsOn day 7 after TACE, the CBATO group had a significantly lower growth rate and a significantly higher necrosis rate of tumor cells than the cTACE group, the CB group, and the control group (all P＜0.05). At each time point after TACE, there were significant differences in the proliferation index and apoptosis percentage of tumor cells between the CBATO group and the other three groups (all P＜0.05). The median survival time was 26 days in the CBATO group, 18.5 days in the CB group, 22 days in the cTACE group, and 15.5 days in the control group, and the CBATO group had a significantly longer survival time than the other three groups (χ2=3.95, 8.99, and 13.47, P=0.049, P=0.003, and P＜0.01). ConclusionCBATO has a better effect than cTACE and CB in the treatment of rabbits with VX2 liver tumor and can significantly improve tumor necrosis rate, promote the apoptosis of tumor cells, and prolong the survival time of experimental animals.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate intraventricular systolic dyssynchrony in rats with post-infarction heart failure by quantitative tissue velocity imaging combining synchronous electrocardiograph. METHODS: A total of 60 male SD rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups: a 4 week post-operative group and an 8 week post-operation group (each n=25, with anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery ligated), and a sham operation group (n=10, with thoracotomy and open pericardium, but no ligation of the artery). The time to peak systolic velocity of regional myocardial in the rats was measured and the index of the left intraventricular dyssynchrony was calculated. RESULTS: All indexes of the heart function became lower as the heart failure worsened except the left ventricle index in the post-operative groups. All indexes of the dyssynchrony got longer in the post-operative groups (P<0.05), while the changes in the sham operation group were not significantly different (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Quantitative tissue velocity imaging combining synchronous electrocardiograph can analyse the intraventricular systolic dyssynchrony accurately.
Animals ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Heart Failure ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Systole ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology