OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) captopril on Calpain-mediated cardiomyocytes apoptosis and cardiac function in diabetic rats.

METHODSThirty adult male SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 10), normal control group (NC group), diabetes mellitus group (DM group)and captopril treated group (Cap group). Streptozocin (STZ) were used to make the model of diabetes mellitus, captopril was administrated by gavage at the dose of 50 mg/kg every day, while in NC group and DM group the same volume of normal saline was administrated. Twelve weeks later, left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVDEP), maximal rise rate of left ventricular pressure (+ dp/dtmax) and maximal fall rate of left ventricular pressure (- dp/dtmax) were detected; Western blot was used to detect the expression of Calpain-1 Calpain-2, Bcl-2, Bax and total Caspase3 protein; apoptosis index (AI) were assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL).

RESULTSCompared with NC group, LVDEP was significantly higher; LVSP, + dp/dtmax and - dp/dtmax were significantly decreased (P < 0.05); Bcl-2 protein expression was decreased; the expression of Calpain-1, Calpain-2, Bax and total Caspase3 protein were increased; the value of AI was significantly increased. Compared with DM group, LVDEP was significantly lower; LVSP, + dp/dtmax and - dp/dtmax were significantly increased (P < 0.05); Bcl-2 protein expression was increased, the expression of Calpain-1, Calpain-2, Bax and total Caspase3 protein were decreased; the value of AI was significantly decreased (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCaptopril can protect diabetic myocardial structure through inhibiting activation of Calpain-1 and Calpain-2, up-regulating the expression of Bcl-2, down-regulating the expression of Bax to inhibit Caspase3 dependent apoptosis, thereby improving the ventricular function and myocardial structure.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Calpain ; metabolism ; Cardiomyopathies ; pathology ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; drug effects ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Yiqi Huoxue Qingre Huashi Recipe (YHQHR, a recipe capable of supplementing qi, activating blood, clearing heat, and dissipating dampness) on ulcer healing and Helicobacter pylori (Hp) eradication rate in Hp positive peptic ulcer patients, and to explore coccoid Hp occurrence in the eradication.

METHODSTotally 80 Hp positive peptic ulcer patients were assigned to the treatment group and the control groups by random digit table, 40 in each group. All patients received standard triple therapy of Western medicine for 2 successive weeks. Those in the control group additionally took omeprazole enteric coated tablet, 20 mg each time, once per day for 4 successive weeks. Those in the treatment group additionally took YHQHR, twice per day for 6 successive weeks. The ulcer healing was observed and recorded by gastroscope after discontinued medication of 14 days. The effective rate of ulcer healing under endoscope was statistically calculated. Rapid urease test (RUT) was performed in one small piece of tissue from corpora ventriculi and sinuses ventriculi using 14C breathe test (UBT). Gastric juice was collected from the stomach. Hp urease gene amplification test (urea A-PCR) was performed in living tissue from gastric antrum. Results obtained from the above three test methods were recorded and assessed to decide the final eradiation rate. Gastric mucosa tissue was observed under electron microscope,attempting to find non-eradicated Hp, which was further observed.

RESULTSThe total curative effect under gastroscope was 97.5% (39/40 cases) in the treatment group, obviously higher than that in the control group (80.0%, 32/40 cases) (P < 0.05). The eradication rate of Hp was 75.0% (30/40 cases), obviously better than that of the control group (52.5%, 21/40 cases) (P < 0.05). The total positive Hp numbers after treatment was 14C UBT (12), RUT (8), and urea A-PCR (27), respectively. The Hp positive rate detected by 14C UBT and RUT was lower than the Hp positive rate detected by urea A-PCR (P < 0.05). Rod-like and coccoid Hp bacteria could be observed under electron microscope.

CONCLUSIONYHQHR combined standard triple therapy was more effective than standard triple therapy alone in promoting ulcer healing and elevating the eradication rate of Hp.

Breath Tests ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Gastric Mucosa ; Helicobacter Infections ; drug therapy ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Omeprazole ; Peptic Ulcer ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Urea

AIMTo provide basic data for the synthesis of new sinomenine derivatives.

METHODSThe C ring in sinomenine was modified.

RESULTSSeven compounds were prepared and screened for anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. Compounds 2 and 5 showed better activities.

CONCLUSIONModification of the C ring in sinomenine should be worthy to be studied further.

Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology ; Edema ; pathology ; Mice ; Molecular Conformation ; Molecular Structure ; Morphinans ; chemical synthesis ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Pain Measurement ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Sinomenium ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo analyze related factors which affect GPA mutation frequency of workers exposed to benzene, with the Glycophorin A (GPA) mutation assay and explore the possibility of GPA mutation frequency as an index of predicting the risk of benzene poisoning.

METHODSThe erythrocytes were bound with fluorescent-labeled monoclonal antibody after isolated and fixed from the peripheral blood, and then the GPA mutation assay was performed using the flow cytometry (FCM). The related factors of GPA mutation frequency were analyzed by statistical methods.

RESULTSThe GPA mutation frequency of chronic benzene poisonings was significantly higher than that of their controls (P < 0.05). Significant direct correlation was found between age, length of service, accumulative exposure score and the GPA mutation frequency of workers exposed to benzene (P < 0.01). However, there was significantly inverse correlation between the 3AB index and the GPA mutation frequency (GPAN0: r(s) = -0.589, P < 0.01, GPANN: r(s) = -0.615, P < 0.01). In the multiple factor regression analysis on GPA mutation frequency, benzene exposure and individual susceptibility both entered model of multiple factors analysis, the coefficient of determination of benzene-exposed workers was 0.819.

CONCLUSIONExposure to benzene and individual susceptibility are the most important factors that affect GPA mutation frequency. GPA mutation frequency increases with the benzene exposure and individual susceptibility.

Benzene ; poisoning ; Glycophorin ; genetics ; Humans ; Mutation ; Mutation Rate ; Occupational Exposure

[ Objective ] To observe the effect of kaolin and propranolol on paraquat ( PQ ) concentration in the lungs of poisoned mice. [ Methods] A group of 144 ICR mice were randomly divided into 3 groups:PQ, treatment, and control.Then 100 mg/kg PQ were intragastrically administrated ( ig) in PQ group and treatment group, while only the same volume normal saline was given in control group.And then 48 g/kg kaolin combined with 3.2 mg/kg propranolol were administered in treatment group immediately after poisoning while only the same volume of normal saline was given in the other two groups. Pathological examination was done and PQ concentration in lungs of the mice detected 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, 8 h, 12 h, 24 h after poisoning. [ Results] In the lungs of the mice in PQ group occurred alveolar capillary expansion, endothelial cell swelling, small or large sheet-shaped inflammation cell infiltration and mainly neutrophils while in treatment group the above lesions were apparently alleviated.In PQ and treatment groups, PQ concentration in lungs of both groups rose significantly 0.5 h after poisoning and up to peak at 4 h.But PQ concentration in lungs decreased significantly in treatment group from 4 h to 24 h after poisoning ( P<0.05) , as compared with that in PQ group. [ Conclusion] PQ concentration in lungs of the poisoned mice was decreased and the injury alleviated when they were treated with kaolin combined with propranolol.It is held that further research is worth doing in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) on heat stress-induced apoptosis in Raw264.7 macrophages. METHODS: Raw264.7 cells transfected with pcDNA3.1 and pcDNA3.1-HSF1 were exposed to heat stress (42.5 degrees C +/- 0.5 degrees C) for 1 h and recovered at 37 degrees C for 6, 9, 12, and 24 h respectively. Flow cytometry (FCM), Hoechst 33258 staining and DNA ladder assays were performed to assess the apoptosis. RESULTS: After heat stress, FCM showed that apoptotic cells were increased significantly and reached the peak at 9 h in Raw 264.7 cells transfected with pcDNA3.1, and were characterized with classical morphologic changes including apoptotic body and nuclear condensation. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed that "DNA ladder" could be observed clearly at 6, 9, and 12 h after the heat stress. But the overexpression of HSF1 could reduce the number of apoptotic cells and inhibit DNA fragmentation. CONCLUSION HSF1 can inhibit heat stress-induced apoptosis in Raw264.7 macrophages.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; pharmacology ; Heat Shock Transcription Factors ; Heat-Shock Response ; Macrophages ; cytology ; Mice ; Rats ; Transcription Factors ; pharmacology ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo study the growth and differentiation of adult canine autologous skeletal myoblasts after being transplanted into acute myocardial infarction (AMI) region by intramyocardium injection (IMI) and intracoronary infusion (ICI).

METHODSAutologous skeletal myoblasts were procured by a modified method. AMI model of adult canine was obtained through left anterior descending branch ligation and was divided into 4 groups (n = 5 for each group). Autologous skeletal myoblasts (1.0 - 1.4 x 10(8) cells) were injected locally into AMI region or infused into infarction-related coronary artery. Specimens were harvested 4 weeks after cellular transplantation for histological study including HE, PTH, immunochemical stain and transmission electronmicroscope.

RESULTSIn both two transplantation groups, newborn muscle-derived cells, striated muscle tissue and mature skeletal myofibril were demonstrated existing in MI region by electronmicroscope, PTH stain or anti-skeletal myosin heavy chain (slow) immunochemical stain, respectively. Newborn striated muscle tissues arranged in order of consistency with host myocardial fibers in two treatment groups. Newborn striated muscle tissue was more inclined to gather in MI region in the local injection group but distracted from each other in the intracoronary infusion group.

CONCLUSIONAutologous skeletal myoblasts appears to live and differentiate into mature striated muscle tissue after transplanting into AMI region by IMI or ICI routes.

Animals ; Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Cells, Cultured ; Dogs ; Female ; Male ; Myoblasts, Skeletal ; cytology ; transplantation ; Myocardial Infarction ; surgery ; Transplantation, Autologous

BACKGROUNDCoronary artery disease (CAD) is generally considered as a disease of middle-aged men. It is widely accepted that the risk for CAD of premenopausal women is low because of hormone protection. Based on our clinical experience, more and more premenopausal women suffer from angina and myocardial infarction without adequate concern. Even now, there are still limited detailed data to describe the characteristics, mechanism and prognosis of premenopausal CAD patients. This article aimed to analyze the clinical and angiographic characteristics of premenopausal women with CAD.

METHODSA total of 565 premenopausal women and 721 postmenopausal women (56 - 60 years old) who underwent coronary angiography for the first time from April 2004 to December 2007 were enrolled. The clinical data and coronary angiographic characteristics (presence, localization, length and severity) were compared between the premenopausal and postmenopausal CAD groups.

RESULTSPremenopausal CAD patients presented less frequently with hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia compared with postmenopausal CAD patients (55.0% vs 66.0%, 15.0% vs 31.5%, 23.9% vs 37.4%, respectively; all P < 0.05). Although we found more frequent involvement of single vessel in premenopausal CAD (43.2% vs 26.9%, P = 0), and triple vessels in postmenopausal (56 - 60 years old) CAD patients (33.8% vs 20.4%, P = 0), much more severe lesions (> or = 90%) at left main (2.9% vs 1.1%, P = 0.048) and proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD) (28.2% vs 16.6%, P = 0) in the premenopausal CAD group were found.

CONCLUSIONPremenopausal women with chest discomfort are always found to have obvious atherosclerosis, more inclined to be located at the left main and proximal LAD, which is a strong predictor of an adverse clinical outcome.

Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Diabetes Mellitus ; pathology ; Dyslipidemias ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Postmenopause ; Premenopause

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the in-hospital clinical outcome of patients with coronary artery disease who underwent transradial intervention (TRI) and analyze the predictors of clinical outcome.

METHODSFrom May 2004 to May 2009, there were 16 281 patients who underwent transradial intervention, as well as 5388 patients who underwent transfemoral intervention (TFI) at our institution. The clinical characteristics, procedural characteristics, and in-hospital clinical adverse events were compared between TRI and TFI groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine predictors of in-hospital major adverse cardiac events (composite of death, myocardial infarction, or target lesion revascularization) of TRI.

RESULTSThe annulations time was significantly longer for TRI than TFI (P < 0.01), fluoroscopy time, amount of contrast agent and procedural success rate (95.5% for TRI and 96.2% for TFI) were similar between the two groups. However, the rates of vascular complications (0.1% for TRI group and 1.3% for TFI group, P < 0.01), incidence of in-hospital major adverse cardiac events (1.6% vs. 3.8%, P < 0.01) and in-hospital death (0.2% vs. 0.4%, P < 0.01) were all significantly lower in TRI group compared with TFI group. The following characteristics were identified as independent multivariate predictors of in-hospital major adverse cardiac events of TRI: age ≥ 65 (OR: 1.98, 95%CI: 1.50 - 2.61, P < 0.01), prior myocardial infarction (OR: 2.14, 95%CI: 1.63 - 2.82, P < 0.01), use of drug-eluting stent (DES) (OR: 0.68, 95%CI: 0.47 - 0.98, P = 0.04), dissection during procedure (OR: 4.08, 95%CI: 2.28 - 7.33, P < 0.01), left main lesion (OR: 2.12, 95%CI: 1.09 - 4.13, P = 0.03), number of implanted stents (OR: 1.25, 95%CI: 1.09 - 1.43, P < 0.01), and total stented length (OR: 1.01, 95%CI: 1.00 - 1.02, P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONSIn this large single-centre patient cohort, the transradial intervention is superior to transfemoral intervention in terms of in-hospital safety and efficacy. Age ≥ 65, prior myocardial infarction, use of DES, dissection during procedure, left main lesion, number of implanted stents and total stented length were identified as independent multivariate predictors of in-hospital major adverse cardiac events of TRI.

Aged ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; methods ; Coronary Artery Disease ; therapy ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Female ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radial Artery ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is a special type of breast cancer that occurs during pregnancy and within 1 year after childbirth. With the rapid social development and the adjustment of reproductive policies in China, the average age of females at first childbirth is increasing, which is expected to lead to an increase in the incidence of PABC. This study aimed to accumulate clinical experience and to investigate and summarize the prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of PABC based on large multicenter samples in China. METHODS: According to the Chinese Society of Breast Surgery, a total of 164 patients with PABC in 27 hospitals from January 2016 to December 2018 were identified. The pregnancy status, clinicopathological features, comprehensive treatment methods, and outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: A total of 164 patients of PABC accounted for 0.30% of the total number of cases in the same period; of which, 83 patients were diagnosed during pregnancy and 81 patients during lactation. The median age of PABC was 33 years (24-47 years). Stage I patients accounted for 9.1% (15/164), stage II 54.9% (90/164), stage III 24.4% (40/164), and stage IV 2.4% (4/164). About 9.1% (15/164) of patients were luminal A. Luminal B patients accounted the most (43.3% [71/164]). About 15.2% (25/164) of patients were human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her-2) overexpression and 18.9% (31/164) of patients were triple-negative breast cancer. For pregnancy breast cancer, 36.1% (30/83) of patients received direct surgery and 20.5% (17/83) received chemotherapy during pregnancy. About 31.3% (26/83) chose abortion or induction of labor. The median follow-up time was 36 months (3-59 months); 11.0% (18/164) patients had local recurrence or distant metastasis and 3.0% (5/164) died. CONCLUSIONS It is safe and feasible to standardize surgery and chemotherapy for PABC.
Adult ; Breast Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Female ; Humans ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies