Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; poisoning ; Cardiomyopathies ; etiology ; therapy ; Creatine Kinase ; blood ; Creatine Kinase, MB Form ; Electrocardiography ; Foodborne Diseases ; blood ; complications ; therapy ; Glutamyl Aminopeptidase ; blood ; Humans ; Isoenzymes ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nausea ; etiology ; Seizures ; etiology ; Treatment Outcome

To analyze the reasons of impaired vision after LASlK and explore its preventive treatment measures preliminarily.METHODS: ln this retrospective study, 175 eyes of 134 patients whose vision was decreased after LASlK were included. The constituent ratio of every reason was counted and uncorrected visual acuity ( UCVA ) between pre-treatment and post-treatment were compared by paired t-test respectively.RESULTS:The overall incidence of impaired vision after LASlK was 1. 86%. The constituent ratio of regression was 51. 43% and UCVA increased from 0. 61±0. 22 to 0. 90±0. 38 (t=8. 00, P<0. 001) after treatment. The constituent ratio of punctate corneal epithelial defect was 32. 57% and UCVA increased from 0. 60±0. 19 to 1. 20±0. 24 (t=20. 00, P<0. 001 ) after treatment. The constituent ratio of accommodative spasm was 5. 14% and UCVA increased from 0.76±0. 21 to 1. 32±0. 22 (t=8. 14, P<0. 001) after treatment. The constituent ratio of corneal flap shift and gauffer was 4% and UCVA increased from 0. 29 ± 0. 26 to 1. 24 ± 0. 28 ( t = 6. 33, P<0. 001 ) after treatment. The constituent ratio of corticosteroid - induced ocular hypertension was 4% and UCVA increased from 0. 57±0. 05 to 1. 0 ± 0. 16 ( t= 2. 53, P<0. 05 ) after treatment. The constituent ratio of fundus lesions and diffuse lamellar keratitis ( DLK) was 2. 86% and UCVA all increased by different degrees after treatment.CONCLUSlON: The reasons of impaired vision after LASlK are many and varied. These cases could recover their vision by discovery and treatment in time, and the appropriate preventive measures were essential.

Objective To validate of the Chinese system for cardiac operative risk evaluation (SinoSCORE) in Cantonese surgery patients. Methods Data from Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute in the period January 2004 through December 2008 were analyzed on 2462 Cantonese heart surgery patients. First, compared risk factors of this series and database of SinoSCORE, and then calculated the additive score of each patients and evaluate the discrimination and calibration of sinoSCORE in Cantonese patients. Results There were some differences between the risk factors of patients from two groups. The gender,smoking, diabetes, hyperlipemia, hypertension, chronic pulmonary diseases, stroke, cardiovascular surgery history, left main disease, atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter, pulmonary arterial hypertension, concomitant coronary surgery and concomitant valve surgery in Cantonese patients were different between two groups. However, The SinoSCORE was able to predict the in-hospital mortality of senior patients with good discrimination ( Hosmer-Lemeshow test, P = 0. 34 ) and calibration ( the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.84, P ＜ 0.01 ). Conclusion SinoSCORE was able to predict the in-hospital mortality of Cantonese heart surgery patients.

BACKGROUND:Calcium metaphosphate has excel ent biocompatibility, degradability, and cel affinity. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s can grow and proliferate in the pores of the porous calcium metaphosphate, but less is known about calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles.
OBJECTIVE:To prepare calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles, and to analyze the effect of calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles at different concentrations on apoptosis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s by flow cytometry.
METHODS:The calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles were prepared by wet bal mil ing. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the morphology of the calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles, and the crystal structure of nanoparticles was analyzed by X-ray diffraction. Calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles were mixed in the CYAGON Oricel TM basal medium, and the concentrations of calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles in the medium were 10, 1, 0.1 mg/L. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s were cultured for 7 days in the above-mentioned media, and apoptosis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s was analyzed by flow cytometry.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles were successful y prepared by wet bal mil ing, irregular in shape, and the mean diameter was 10-30 nm. X-ray diffraction results showed the crystal structure of nonaparticles was mainlyβ-Ca(PO3)2. The cel ratio of G0/G1 phase and G2/M phase in 10 mg/L group was obviously higher than that in 1, 0.1 mg/L groups (P<0.01). The cel apoptosis rates during the early, middle, late stages in 10 mg/L group were obviously higher than those in 1, 0.1 mg/L groups (P<0.01), and the total cel apoptosis was also significantly increased in 10 mg/L group (P<0.01). These findings indicate that human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s proliferation can be inhibited by calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles, and apoptosis rate is increased significantly when the concentration of calcium metaphosphate nanoparticles increases from 1 mg/L to 10 mg/L.

AIMTo observe the expression of Urotensin II (U II) and its receptor (UT) on right ventricle in rats with chronic pulmonary hypertension induced by hypoxia and hypercapnia.

METHODSTwenty male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (NC) and hypoxia-hypercapnia 4-week group(HH). Mean pulmonary arterial pressure(MPAP) and the weight ratio of right ventricle (RV) to left ventricle plus septum (LV+ S) were calculated separately. U II in plasma was measured using radioimmunoassay. The expression of U II was observed in right ventricle myocytes and right ventricle arteries by immunohistochemistry. The expression of U II mRNA and UT mRNA were observed in right ventricle myocytes and right ventricle arteries by in situ hybridization.

RESULTS(1) The MPAP and RV/LV + S of HH group were higher respectively than those of NC group (P < 0.01, respectively). (2) The plasma U II content of HH group did not increased obviously than that of NC group. (3) The expression score of U II, U II mRNA, UT mRNA by right ventricle myocytes in HH group were higher significantly than those of NC group (P < 0.01 respectively). (4) The average value of integral light density (LD) of U II, U II mRNA, UT mRNA by right cardial arteries in HH group were higher significantly than those of NC group (P < 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSIONThe expression of U II in right ventricle arteries and right ventricle myocytes increase significantly during the formation of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricle hypertrophy in rats chronically exposed to hypoxia-hypercapnia. These changes indicate that U II might be involved in right ventricle remodeling, which promotes proliferation of cardiac muscle cells.

Animals ; Heart Ventricles ; metabolism ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; metabolism ; Hypoxia ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; metabolism ; Urotensins ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the possible association between the SNP in the 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) of the human beta defensin 1 (DEFB1) gene and the susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in Chinese Han population.

METHODSIn this case-control study, venous blood was collected from 102 patients with PTB and 148 healthful persons. Genomic DNA was extracted using whole blood DNA extraction kit. The -52A/G, -44C/G and -20A/G SNP were genotyped by PCR-directed sequencing. The genotypes and allele frequency were analyzed using the χ(2) test. The linkage disequilibrium and haplotype were analyzed by SHEsis software.

RESULTSA total of 102 patients with PTB (69 males and 33 females, (53.42 ± 20.22) years old) and 148 healthy control cases (95 males and 53 females, (50.67 ± 14.53) years old) were enrolled, with no difference in gender and age (all P values > 0.05). DEFB1 -44 CC genotype was significantly more frequently found in PTB patients than in control group (81.4% (83/102) vs 66.9% (99/148), χ(2) = 5.114, P < 0.05, OR = 2.096, 95%CI: 1.095 - 4.011), so was -44C allele (89.2% (182/204) vs 80.4% (238/296), χ(2) = 6.975, P < 0.05, OR = 1.576, 95%CI: 1.086 - 2.286). No difference in -52 A/G and -20 A/G SNP was observed between the two groups. The proportion of the GGG (-52/-44/-20) haplotype was lower in PTB patients than in the control group (0.030 vs 0.081, χ(2) = 5.629, P < 0.05, OR = 0.348, 95%CI: 0.140 - 0.863). No linkage disequilibrium was found among the SNP of the three sites (D' values were 0.132, 0.064, 0.088; r(2) values were 0.003, 0.002, 0.003; all P values > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThese results suggest that the SNP of DEFB1 5' UTR is associated with susceptibility to PTB in Chinese Han population. -44 C→G SNP and the related haplotype (GGG) might play a protective role in the pathogenesis of PTB.

Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; genetics ; beta-Defensins ; genetics

The purpose of the present study was to explore the expression changes of intermedin/adrenomedullin 2 (IMD/ADM2), a novel small molecular bioactive peptide, and its receptors, calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CRLR) and receptor activity modifying proteins (RAMP1, RAMP2, RAMP3) in the right ventricle of rats with chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4-week hypoxia group and normal control group (each n=10). The rats in hypoxia group were placed in an isobaric hypoxic chamber, in which O(2) content was maintained at 9%-11% by delivering N(2), and CO(2) content was maintained at <3% for 4 weeks (8 h/d, 6 d/week). The rats in the control group were housed in room air. The protein levels of IMD/ADM2 and adrenomedullin (ADM) in blood plasma and right ventricular tissue were measured by radioimmunoassay. The mRNA expressions of IMD/ADM2, ADM and their receptors CRLR, RAMP1, RAMP2, RAMP3 in right ventricular tissue were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that the ratio of right ventricle weight to left ventricle plus septum weight [RV/(LV+S)] and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) were higher in hypoxia group than those in the control group (all P<0.01), suggesting that the rat model of pulmonary hypertension was successfully established. However, the mean carotid arterial pressure (mCAP) between the two groups had no significant difference. Compared with that in the control group, ADM contents in plasma and right ventricular tissue in hypoxia group increased by 1.26 and 1.68 folds (all P<0.01), respectively. Likewise, IMD/ADM2 contents in blood plasma and right ventricular tissue in hypoxia group increased by 0.90 and 1.19 folds (P<0.01), respectively, compared with that in the control group. The data of RT-PCR showed that mRNA levels of ADM, IMD/ADM2 and RAMP2 in hypoxia group increased by 155.1% (P<0.01), 80.9% (P<0.01) and 52.9% (P<0.05), respectively, compared with those in the control group. There were no significant differences in mRNA expressions of CRLR, RAMP1 and RAMP3 between the two groups (all P>0.05). Taken together, the results show that the level of IMD/ADM2 increases in the rats with chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension.
Adrenomedullin ; metabolism ; Animals ; Calcitonin Receptor-Like Protein ; metabolism ; Heart Ventricles ; metabolism ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; etiology ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia ; complications ; Male ; Neuropeptides ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptor Activity-Modifying Proteins ; metabolism

AIMTo investigate the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1alpha) in rats with chronic pulmonary hypertension induced by hypoxia and hypercapnia and its relationship with nitric oxide(NO).

METHODSFourty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups, normal control group (NC), hypoxia-hypercapnia group (HH), hypoxia - hypercapnia + L-arginine liposome group(HP) and hypoxia-hypercapnia+ N-nitro-L-arginine methylester group (HM). Colorimetric analysis, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization were used for detection of NO, HIF-1alpha and constitutive nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS).

RESULTS(1) The mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) and the weight ratio of right ventricular to left ventricle plus septum (RV/(LV + S)) of HH group were higher than those of NC group (P < 0.05), HP group much lower than HH group (P < 0.01), mPAP of HM higher than HH group ( P < 0.05). 2)0 Contents of NO in plasma and pulmonary tissue homogenates of HH group were much lower than those of NC group (P < 0.01), HP group higher than HH group (P < 0.01). There were no difference between HM group and HH group. (Expression of HIF-1alpha and HIF-1alpha mRNA in pulmonary arterioles of HH group were significantly higher than those of NC group( P < 0.01), HP group lower than HH group (P < 0.01) ,HM group higher than HH group (P < 0.01); Whereas expression of ecNOS and ecNOS mRNA in pulmonary arterioles of HH were lower than those of NC group( P < 0.05, IP group higher than HH group (P < 0.01), HM group lower than HH group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHIF-1alpha is involved in the pathogenesis of chronic pulmonary hypertension induced by hypoxia and hypercapnia. The protective function of NO in the pathogenesis might be partly depended on its effects on the expression/activity of HIF-1alpha in lung.

Animals ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; etiology ; metabolism ; Hypoxia ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

AIMTo investigate the changes and probable roles of adrenomedullin2/intermedin (AIDM2/IMD), a novel micromolecular bioactive peptide, in the lungs of rats with chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.

METHODSTwenty male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (NC) and normobaric hypoxia group (4H). The protein levels of ADM and ADM2/IMD) in the plasma and lung were measured by radioimmunoassay and immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expressions of ADM, ADM2/IMD and their receptors C (RLR, RAMP1, RAMP2 and RAMP3 in the lung tissue were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTS(1) The rat model of chronic pulmonary hypertension was confirmed by the increased mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) and weight ratio of right ventricle to left ventricle plus septum [RV/(LV + S)] in 4H group compared to NC group. (2) The concentrations of ADM in the plasma and lung homogenate of 4H group were 2.3 and 3.2 folds of NC group, respectively (all P < 0.01). The levels of ADM2/IMD were higher 89.6% and 45.0% in the plasma and lung homogenate of 4H group than those of NC group (respectively, P < 0.01, P < 0.05). (3) The mRNA expressions of ADM2/IMD and ADM in the lung of 4H group were up-regulated (respectively, P < 0.01, P < 0.05 vs. NC group). The expressions of CRLR and RAMP1 mRNAs were down-regulated (all P < 0.01 vs. NC group), while the levels of RAMP2 and RAMP3 mRNAs were no significant difference between the two groups. (4) The strong ADM2/IMD immunostaining was detected in the endothelial and adventitial cells of the rat pulmonary arteriole.

CONCLUSIONADM2/IMD, like its paralog ADM, might be closely related to the chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in rats. The disorders of the gene expression and/or the synthesis and metabolism of ADM2/IMD and its receptor CRLR/RAMP1 possibly take part in the pathogenesis of chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in rats.

Adrenomedullin ; metabolism ; Animals ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; etiology ; metabolism ; Hypoxia ; complications ; metabolism ; Lung ; metabolism ; Male ; Neuropeptides ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

AIMTo investigate the dynamic changes and functions of urotensin II (U lI) receptor (UT) in pulmonary arteries of rats chronically exposed to hypoxia-hypercapnia.

METHODSIn rats with hypoxia-hypercapnia at 1, 2 and 4 weeks U II receptor binding of pulmonary arteries sarcolemma was determined by radioligand assay. U II mRNA and UTmRNA in various grades of pulmonary arterioles were measured by in situ hybridization.

RESULTS(1) Mean pulmonary pressure (mPAP) and weight ratio of right ventricle to left ventricle and septum (RV/LV + S) of 1-week group were higher than those of normal control (NC) group by 26.2% and 21.6% (P < 0.01), respectively, and 2-week group higher than 1-week group by 22.5% and 14.1% (respectively, P < 0.01). However, no significant changes were found between 4-week and 2-week group. (2) U Il receptor (Bmax) of 1-week group was higher than NC group by 38.8%, 2-week group higher than 1-week group by 23.2%, and 4-week group increased 7.3% compared with 2-week group (respectively, P < 0.01). The UT changes were time-dependent, while the affinity to U II (Kd) was no different among each group. (3) UII mRNA in each grade of pulmonary arterioles of 2-week group and 4-week group were higher than NC group (respectively, P < 0.01), and those of 2-week group were higher than 1-week group by 5.9% (P > 0.05), 16.4% and 9.1% (respectively, P < 0.01), while no differences existed between 2-week group and 4-week group. (4) UT mRNA in each grade of pulmonary arterioles of all hypoxia-hypercapnia groups was higher than NC group (respectively, P < 0.01), and those of two abaxial grade vessels in 1-week group were the highest. No differences existed between 2-week group and 4-week group. (5) The pulmonary vessels remodeling were time-dependently aggravated by hypoxia-hypercapnia.

CONCLUSIONThe dynamic changes of UT in pulmonary arterioles might have important contribution to the development of pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary arteriole remodeling induced by chronic hypoxia-hypercapnia in rats.

Animals ; Arterioles ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Hypercapnia ; metabolism ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia ; metabolism ; Male ; Pulmonary Artery ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; metabolism