AIM: To explore the effects of oxidized low density lipoprotein (OxLDL) and one of its component— lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) on cholesterol efflux from mouse macrophage foam cells. METHODS: (1) Cholesterol efflux induced by apoAI from mouse peritoneal macrophage foam cells loaded with OxLDL or acylated LDL(AcLDL) was measured. (2) Cholesterol efflux induced by LPC and apoAI from macrophage foam cells separated from normal or apoE gene deficient (E 0) mouse loaded with AcLDL were measured. RESULTS: (1) When the macrophage foam cells were incubated with apoAI, cholesterol efflux from AcLDL-induced macrophage foam cells increased significantly compared to that of OxLDL-induced macrophage foam cells. (2) LPC promoted cholesterol efflux from macrophage foam cells in relation to both dosage and time. When LPC was incubated with E 0 mouse macrophage foam cells, the released cholesterol mass was significantly lower than that of normal mouse macrophage foam cells. It was also found that cholesterol efflux induced by apoAI normally occurred in E 0 mouse macrophage foam cells. CONCLUSIONS: (1) OxLDL accumulated cholesterol in macrophages and impair cholesterol efflux. (2) LPC induced cholesterol efflux from macrophage foam cells, which may occur via apoE pathway.

AIM:To report a case of a chronic glaucoma patient whose reduced eyesight is related to ocular ischemia.METHODS:A case report.RESULTS:A 71 year-old man presented with a decreased left eye vision for over 3 years.During the last two months,he had deteriorated blurred vision when he woke up in the morning.The loss of his lower-half peripheral vision was especially serious.The patient suffered from an episode of transient amaurosis fugax three months ago.According to transcranial Doppler ultrasound scan and cerebral computerized tomographic angiography,the patient was found that he had severe stenosis of the bilateral intracranial internal carotid artery and decreased blood flow velocity within the left ophthalmic artery.His symptoms alleviated after an internal carotid artery endarterectomy.CONCLUSION:When vision loss glaucoma cases are presented,more attention should be paid to the presence of ischemia within the ophthalmic artery except glaucoma.

Objective To analysis the long-term retention rate of Levetiraceram (LEV) monotherapy or combination therapy of infant epilepsy. Methods The clinical data of patients with infant epilepsy treated by LEV had been retrospectively analyzed from July 2006 to June 2007. Results Sixty patients with infant epilepsy treated by LEV had been recruited, 20 cases with partial seizures, 19 cases with generalized seizures, 21 cases with epilepsy syndrome. Among them 21 cases was intractable epilepsy. The retention rates of LEV in 6-month, 1-year, 2-year, 3-year and 4-year were 95.5%, 75.0%, 60.0%, 51.7%, and 38.3%. The most common reason for withdrawal was lack of effect (43.2%). COX regression model suggested that duration>1 month (RR=2.91, 95%CI:1.16~7.30) and refractory epilepsy (RR=2.30, 95%CI:1.22~4.32) were risk factors of withdrawal (all P<0.05). After treatment, the seizure frequency signiifcantly reduced compared with baseline (P<0.01). To the end of the follow-up, the efifciency was 100%and the complete remission rate was 69.57%in 23 cases continued treatment. The main side effect were fatigue (56.0%), and sleep increased, irritability, and so on. Conclusions LEV monotherapy or combination therapy has well long-term retention rate, maintains well efifcacy and tolerability in infant epilepsy.

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of specific immunotherapy with standardized house dust mite extract on the lung function and immunologic markers in children with asthma.

METHODSThirty-two children with mild to moderate asthma who were allergic to house dust mite were assigned to two groups: an immunotherapy group that received subcutaneous specific immunotherapy with standardized house dust mite extract beside glucocorticoids treatment (n=15) and a control group that received glucocorticoids treatment alone (n=17). Lung function was determined before treatment and 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after treatment. The frequency of asthma attacks was observed before treatment and 12 and 24 months after treatment. Serum immunological markers, including total IgE, specific IgE and specific IgG4 against house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Der P), ECP, IL-10, IL-4, and IFN-γ, were measured before treatment and 12 and 24 months after treatment.

RESULTSThe parameters of lung function were kept at the normal level or near normal level after treatment in the immunotherapy group. Compared with before treatment, the percentage of patients without asthma attacks increased significantly after treatment in the immunotherapy group (P<0.05) and increased more significantly with a prolonged treatment time (P<0.05). The level of serum sIgG4 against Der P increased significantly throughout the period of the immunotherapy treatment compared with before treatment (P<0.01). There were no significant differences in the levels of serum total IgE, sIgE against Der P, ECP, IL-10, IL-4 and IFN-γ before and after treatment in the immunotherapy group. There were no significant differences in all the parameters measured before and after treatment in the control group.

CONCLUSIONSSubcutaneous specific immunotherapy with standardized house dust mite extract for two years decreases the frequency of asthma attacks and the lung functions are kept in a normal level in children with asthma. The role of the specific immunotherapy may attribute to the increased level of serum sIgG4 against Der P.

Animals ; Asthma ; immunology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-10 ; blood ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Lung ; physiopathology ; Male ; Pyroglyphidae ; immunology

Objective To explore the DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes of rats exposed to sodium arsenite. Methods Thirty-two Wistar rats, weighing 180 - 200 g, equal male and female, were randomly divided into 4 groups, 8 in each group. Sodium arsenite 0(control) ,0.05,0.15,0.45 mg/L were given through drinking water for 30 days. Body weight and drinking water consumption were measured every day. Blood were collected and DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes was examined by single cell gel electrophoresis.Results The increase of body mass[( 121.00 ± 38.57), ( 120.62 ± 42.80), ( 125.38 ± 48.68)g]and water intake [(36.9 ± 6.2), (37.9 ± 5.8), (39.3 ± 4.2)ml/d]in 0.05,0.15,0.45 mg/L sodium arsenite groups were compared with the control group[( 119.25 ± 47.27)g, (38.4 ± 5.1 )ml/d], and the difference were not significant (F = 0.040,0.828, all P ＞ 0.05). The tail ratios[46.25%(185/400) ,57.00%(228/400),64.00%(256/400)], tail lengths [(32.89 ± 17.18), (58.74 ± 36.28), (77.55 ± 35.73 ) μm]and tail moments [(6.29 ± 3.74), ( 11.20 ± 9.64),(17.30 ± 12.60)μm]in 0.05,0.15,0.45 mg/L sodium arsenite groups were significantly higher than those of the control group[39.25%(157/400), (18.73 ± 15.83),(2.61 ± 1.05)μm, all P ＜ 0.01], and the tail ratios,tail lengths and tail moments in lymphocytes increased with increased doses of arsenic concentration. Conclusions Low doses of arsenic exposure can induce DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes of rats.

Objective To discuss the effects of prophylactic chemotherapy on the outcomes and prognosis of invasive mole patients.Methods One hundred and fifteen invasive mole (IM) patients older than 40 years were registered in Peking Union Medical Collage Hospital.Eleven of them were treated with prophylactic chemotherapy before diagnosed as IM prophylactic chemotherapy group,while the other 104 cases received therapeutic chemotherapy after diagnosed as IM (non-prophylactic chemotherapy group).The general clinical data (including age,clinical stage,risk factor score),treatment,outcomes and relapse of patients were retrospectively compared between two groups.Results (1) The age of prophylactic chemotherapy group and non-prophylactic chemotherapy group were (47±5) versus (46±4) years old.Ratio of clinical stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ were 3/11 versus 29.8％ (31/104),clinical stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ were 8/11 versus 70.2％ (73/104).Ratio of risk factor score 0-6 were 11/11 versus 84.6％ (88/104),risk factor score ＞6 were 0 versus 15.4％(16/104).There were no significant statistical differences between two groups in age,clinical stage or risk factor score (all P＞0.05).(2) Treatment:the total chemotherapy courses between prophylactic chemotherapy group and non-prophylactic chemotherapy group (median 7 versus 5) were significantly different (Z=3.071,P=0.002).There were no significant statistical differences between two groups in the chemotherapy courses until negative conversion of β-hCG,consolidation chemotherapy courses,total therapeutic chemotherapy courses or ratio of hysterectomy (all P＞0.05).(3) Outcomes and relapse:between the prophylactic chemotherapy group and the non-prophylactic chemotherapy group,the complete remission rate were 11/11 versus 98.1％(102/104),the relapse rate were 0 versus 1.0％(1/102).There were no significant difference between the two groups in outcomes or relapse rate (P＞0.05).Conclusions Prophylactic chemotherapy does not substantially benefit the IM patients older than 40 years.Prophylactic chemotherapy may not significantly improve patients' prognosis,in which increased sample size is required in further study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a kind of emergency treatment for cardiopulmonary arrest, and chest compression is the most important and necessary part of CPR. The American Heart Association published the new Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care in 2010 and demanded for better performance of chest compression practice, especially in compression depth and rate. The current study was to explore the relationship of quality indexes of chest compression and to identify the key points in chest compression training and practice.METHODS: Totally 219 healthcare workers accepted chest compression training by using Laerdal ACLS advanced life support resuscitation model. The quality indexes of chest compression, including compression hands placement, compression rate, compression depth, and chest wall recoil as well as self-reported fatigue time were monitored by the Laerdal Computer Skills and Reporting System.RESULTS: The quality of chest compression was related to the gender of the compressor. The indexes in males, including self-reported fatigue time, the accuracy of compression depth and the compression rate, the accuracy of compression rate, were higher than those in females. However, the accuracy of chest recoil was higher in females than in males. The quality indexes of chest compression were correlated with each other. The self-reported fatigue time was related to all the indexes except the compression rate.CONCLUSION: It is necessary to offer CPR training courses regularly. In clinical practice, it might be better to change the practitioner before fatigue, especially for females or weak practitioners. In training projects, more attention should be paid to the control of compression rate, in order to delay the fatigue, guarantee enough compression depth and improve the quality of chest compression.

Neurons in the laterodorsal tegmentum (LDTg) and pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg) play important roles in central autonomic circuits of the kidney. In this study, we used a combination of retrograde tracers pseudorabies virus (PRV)-614 and fluorescence immunohistochemistry to characterize the neuroanatomic substrate of PPTg and LDTg innervating the kidney in the mouse. PRV-614-infected neurons were retrogradely labeled in the rostral and middle parts of LDTg, and the middle and caudal parts of PPTg after tracer injection in the kidney. PRV-614/TPH double-labeled neurons were mainly localized in the rostral of LDTg, whereas PRV-614/TH neurons were scattered within the three parts of LDTg. PRV-614/TPH and PRV-614/TH neurons were located predominantly in the caudal of PPTg (cPPTg). These data provided direct neuroanatomical foundation for the identification of serotonergic and catecholaminergic projections from the mid-brain tegmentum to the kidney.

Lie detection technology has been applied increasingly to investigate and solve criminal cases. This article explores the evolvement of lie detection technology in the ancient times and the application of the psychological and physiological parameters which have become more accurate with the introduction of modern polygraph. The cognitive exploration and the application of Event Related Potentials (ERPs), functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), and Event-Related functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (E-R fMRI) have made detection technology focus on the brain activities, which produce more objective results by tracing the original state of lying. In summary, this article describes different types of lie detections, simple and complex, their working principles, the latest development, and the prospect of their application in forensic science.
Evoked Potentials ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Lie Detection ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Psychophysiology/instrumentation*

Objective To become aware of the present distribution of drinking water source with high fluoride in endemic fluorosis disease areas in Shanxi Province, and to provide the evidence for making scientific and effective tactics in prevention and control. Methods According to "The National Technical Scheme for Endemic Disease Control" in the year 2004 to 2006, the investigation points were selected in 60 counties at 8 cities of Shanxi Province. The fluoride levels of water were determined by fluoride selective ion electrode. Results The fluoride content of water was determined in 2990 villages in 60 counties. Water fluorides content of 1658 villages were above 1.00 mg/L, accounted for 55.45%(1658/2990). The highest water fluoride content was 9.72 mg/L. Villages with high fluoride water in Taiyuan, Datong, Xinding, Linfen, Yuncheng basins accounted for 89.63% (1486/1658) among villages with high fluoride in Shanxi Province. In Shanxi Province the villages with high fluoride water were mainly distributed over 5 basins and scattered on the other areas. The distribution of drinking water source with high fluoride were different in 5 basins(H=316.10, P<0.05). The Water fluorides content in Datong basin(2.32 mg/L) was significantly higher than that of the other basins (P<0.05) and the ratio of drinking water fluoride levels under the national standard was 81.16%(336/414) in Datong basin. Conclusions Drinking water source with high fluoride are widespread distributed in Shanxi Province and mainly distributed in 5 basins. The situation of drinking water fluoride levels under the national standard is serious. The task of prevention and control for endemic fluorosis is still arduous. Therefore, we should strength water improving to raise the effect of prevention and treatment.