Objective To evaluate the value of Multi-slice spiral CT angiography for spinal cord vessels.Methods 11 adult subjects with suspected of myelopathy were performed with Multi-slice spiral CT angiography,An iodine contrast agent was injected at 3.5 ml/s,for total 100 ml.The parameters were axial 16 slice mode,0.625 mm slice thickness,0.8 s rotation,delay time depending on smartprep (15—25 s), multi-phase scan.The coronal and sagittal MPR and SSD were generated on a workstation compared with spinal digital subtraction angiography (DSA) to analyze normal or abnormal spinal cord vessels.Results Normal findings at spinal CTA and digital subtraction angiography in six adult normal subjects and spinal cord vascular malformations( 1 intradural extramedullary AVF,4 dural AVFs) in five cases,Recognizable intradural vessels corresponding to anterior median (midline) veins and/or anterior spinal arteries were show in six adult normal subjects.Abnormal intradural vessels were detected in all five spinal cord vascular malformation with CT angiography ,in comparison with digital subtraction angiography these vessels were primarily enlarged veins of the coronal venous plexus on the cord surface,radiculomedullary-dural arteries could not be clearly shown in four dural AVF,only one anterior spinal artery was detected in one patient with intradural medullary AVF,which direct shunt between anterior spinal artery and perimedullary vein with tortuous draining vessel.Conclusion Multi-slice CT angiography is able to visualize the normal or abnormal spinal cord vessels.It could be used as a noninvasive method to screen the spinal cord vascular disease.

Objective To investigate correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and incidence of myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction ,and serum homocysteine(Hcy) level .Methods A total of 72 patients with myocardial infarction ,86 patients with cerebral infarction and 80 healthy subjects were enrolled and detected for Hp‐IgG and serum Hcy by using enzyme‐linked im‐munosorbent assays and enzymatic cycling method .Relationship between Hp infection and serum level of Hcy were analyzed .Results The positive rate of Hp‐IgG and serum Hcy level in patients with myocardial infarction were significantly higher than healthy subjects(P<0 .05) .Among patients with myocardial infarction ,serum level of Hcy in Hp‐IgG positive patients was higher than that in Hp‐IgG negative patients(P<0 .05) .The positive rate of Hp‐IgG between patients with cerebral infarction and healthy subjects was without significant difference(P>0 .05) .Among patients with cerebral infarction ,serum level of Hcy between Hp‐IgG positive patients and Hp‐IgG negative patients were without significant difference(P>0 .05) .But serum Hcy level in patients with cerebral infarction was significantly higher than that in healthy subjects(P<0 .05) .Conclusion Hp infection might promote the occurrence of myocardial infarction by affecting serum level of Hcy .However ,there might be without obvious correlation between Hp infection and the occurrence of cerebral infarction .And there could be no direct association between high serum level of Hcy in patients with cerebral infarction and Hp infection .

OBJECTIVETo observe the three-dimensional distribution of vessels, and to establish a new method for measurement of blood flow velocity in mice cerebral cortex using two-photon laser scanning microscopy and fluorescence probe labeling technique.

METHODSThe mouse was made cranial window surgery and injected Texas-Red through tail vein after anesthetized. The three-dimensional imaging of vessel was obtained through z-stack scanning, and blood flow velocity was quantified through line scanning.

RESULTSWe could detect vascular distribution for more than 500 µm depth using two-photon microscopy. The velocity of blood flow was (0.59 ± 0.12) mm/s in capillary.

CONCLUSIONThe method for observing the brain blood flow by two-photon microscopy was established, which could achieve quantification of single vascular blood flow velocity and provide experimental evidence for basic research and medical applications.

Animals ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Brain ; blood supply ; Capillaries ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Fluorescent Dyes ; Hemodynamics ; Mice ; Microscopy, Fluorescence

OBJECTIVETo observe effects of cold- and hot-property herbs and effects of hot and cold constitutions on the tumor growth of tumor bearing rats, and to observe the effect of Cinobufacini Injection (CI) on the tumor growth of tumor bearing rats of different constitutions.

METHODSEighty healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into eight groups, i.e., the tumor bearing control group, the tumor bearing heat syndrome group, the tumor bearing cold syndrome group, the heat syndrome tumor bearing group, the cold syndrome tumor bearing group, the tumor bearing CI group, the heat syndrome tumor bearing CI group, and the cold syndrome tumor bearing CI group, respectively. The weight and volume of rats' subcutaneous tumor were measured 14 days after tumor inoculation.

RESULTSThe weight and volume of tumor in the heat syndrome tumor bearing CI group [(3.55 +/- 1.12) g, (2864.44 +/- 1430.51) mm3] and the tumor bearing CI group [(4.29 +/- 1.14) g, (3397.19 +/- 1701.13) mm3] were significantly lower than those of the tumor bearing control group [(6.01 +/- 2.45) g, (6218.91 +/- 3837.64) mm3] and the cold syndrome tumor bearing CI group [(6.90 +/- 1.57) g, (6168.42 +/- 2457.03) mm3], showing statistical difference (P<0.05). There was insignificant difference among other groups.

CONCLUSIONSCI showed better tumor inhibition effects on tumor bearing rats of heat syndrome constitution, which indicated CI was of cold property. It might be possibly used in tumor bearing rats of heat syndrome constitution.

Animals ; Bufanolides ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Injections ; Male ; Neoplasms, Experimental ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Isolated alkaloids from Coptis chinensis Franch. The compounds were identified as berberine, columbamine, groenlandicine, jatrorrhizine, magnoflorine, corydaldine and ferulic acid methylester. Then measured their bitter degree based on the electronic tongue and evaluated the antibacterial. The results based on the Electronic Tongue showed that berberine, columbamine, groenlandicine and jatrorrhizine have higher bitter degree than magnoflorine and corydaldine. And they also appeared better antibacterial activity on E. coli and S. aureus. The correlation coefficients between bitter degree and the two bacteria antibacterial activity were 0.983 and 0.911. So there was close relationship between the bitter degree and antibacterial activity of bitter components. Thus, it is confirmed further that bitter components are the material foundation of medicinal effectiveness of bitter herbs.
Aporphines ; analysis ; Berberine ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; Berberine Alkaloids ; analysis ; Biomedical Research ; instrumentation ; methods ; Coptis ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Electronics ; instrumentation ; methods ; Escherichia coli ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Reproducibility of Results ; Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Taste

BACKGROUND:Studies have found that vascular endothelial growth factor and hypoxia inducible factor are involved in the development process of osteoarthritis, but their correlation is rarely reported. OBJECTIVE:To observe the expression and correlation of hypoxia inducible factor-2α and vascular endothelial growth factor in chondrocytes of articular cartilages in human osteoarthritis. METHODS: Articular cartilage specimens were colected from 50 patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing total knee joint replacement. According to the joint Kelgren-Lawrance (K-L) X-ray grouping classification standard, there were 18 cases of K-LIII level and 32 cases of K-LIV level. Besides, articular cartilage specimens from 10 patients undergoing amputation for legs tumor or traffic accident served as control group. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Safranin O-Fast Green staining and Mankin scoring were performed to observe and evaluate the histological characteristics of articular cartilages of each group, immunohistochemical staining was conducted to detect the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-2α and vascular endothelial growth factor in chondrocytes of articular cartilages, and their correlations were analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The Mankin score of K-LIV group was significantly higher than those of K-LIII group and control group. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the number of chondrocytes with positive expression of hypoxia inducible factor-2α or vascular endothelial growth factor in K-LIV group was significantly higher than that in K-LIII group and control group (P < 0.05). The expression of hypoxia inducible factor-2α and vascular endothelial growth factor increased in chondrocytes of articular cartilages of osteoarthritis patients, and to up-regulate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor may be the regulatory mechanism of hypoxia inducible factor-2αinthe pathogenesis of osteoarthritis.

Objective: To investigate the role of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in supporting hematopoiesis and the expansion of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in vitro. Methods: According to the fact that HUVEC supernatant has colony stimulating activity shown by methylcellulose colony-forming assay and HUVEC can maintain the survival of mononuclear cells for at least four weeks in vitro, CD34+ cells from umbilical cord blood were seeded with (HUVEC group) or without (control group) HUVEC monolayer. Every week cells were collected and counted, the frequency of CFU-GM was measured by using methylcellulose colony-forming assay, and the percentage of CD34+ and CD41a+ cells was measured by flow cytometry. Results: In control group，all the CD34+ cells died in two weeks. However, in HUVEC group,most nucleated cells and CD34+ cells were expanded by 68.1±14.8 fold and 6.6±1.4 fold，respectively at the third week while CFU-GM expansion reached its peak (5.7±2.1 fold) at the week 2. Moreover, the percentage of CD41a+ cells was enhanced significantly, reaching a maximum (15.6%) at the week 3. Conclusions:HUVEC can support hematopoiesis in vitro and expand the hematopoietic progenitor cells and CD41a+ cells in direct contact coculture.

Objective To investigate the association between methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and myocardial infarction (MI) in the Chinese Han ethnicity. Methods 432 patients suffered from myocardial infarction and 430 controls were involved for case and control groups, respectively. Nine tag SNPs in MTAP gene were selected and genotyped. Results We found no significant association of selected tag SNPs with MI in all of the samples. However, in stratified analysis, significant association was observed at rs7027989 in male subjects. The risk of MI increased by 26% (P=0.005) for male subjects of minor allele carriers in a dominant model. The increased risk of MI at rs7027989 remained significant after adjusting for confounding factors. Conclusion MTAP gene might be involved in the etiology of MI in Chinese Han ethnicity.

OBJECTIVEChildren with nephrotic syndrome are always associated with retardation of growth. Growth hormone (GH) administration to these children can stimulate their growth, but it plays an important role in glomerulosclerosis. Thus these children would take a risk to use it to improve their growth. This study was designed to investigate the effect of GH on the kidney of rats with adriamycin-induced nephropathy (AN) and its mechanism, and to observe the renoprotective effect of angiotensin II (AngII) receptor antagonist, irbesartan, in GH-treated AN rats.

METHODSRats were divided into the following groups: normal control rats, AN rats, GH-treated AN rats and GH plus irbesartan-treated AN rats. There were 8 developing male SD rats (120-130 g) in each group. Urinary protein was measured at weeks 3, 6 and 9. Blood pressure, serum creatinine, BUN, albumin, cholesterol, triglyceride, as well as ACE activity and AngII concentration of the kidney were detected at the end of the study. Renal pathological changes were evaluated also. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the protein expressions of TGF beta(1), collagen IV and fibronectin in glomeruli.

RESULTSGlomerular sclerosis score of GH-treated AN rats (49.4 +/- 9.8) was significantly higher than that of AN rats (12.8 +/- 5.5, P < 0.01), and this score of GH-treated AN rats plus irbesartan (26.2 +/- 7.5) was significantly lower than the score of GH-treated AN rats (P < 0.01). The changes of urinary protein, hyperlipidemia and hypoalbuminemia in rats of each group consisted with the degree of glomerular injury in rats of each group. There was azotemia in GH-treated AN rats, but rats in the other groups did not have azotemia. ACE activity of kidney was significantly (P < 0.01) increased in GH-treated AN rats [(28.1 +/- 4.1) U/mg pro] and GH-treated AN rats plus irbesartan [(27.6 +/- 3.4) U/mg pro] compared with that in AN rats [(14.6 +/- 4.4) U/mg pro]. AngII concentrations in the kidney of GH-treated AN rats [(17.8 +/- 3.3) pg/mg pro] and GH-treated AN rats plus irbesartan [(27.3 +/- 5.1) pg/mg pro] were significantly higher than that in AN rats [(8.3 +/- 1.9) pg/mg pro] (P < 0.01). The protein expressions of TGF-beta(1), collagen IV and fibronectin in GH-treated AN rats were the most distinct in all groups. These expressions were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in GH-treated AN rats plus irbesartan.

CONCLUSIONGH is able to exacerbate adriamycin-induced nephropathy in rats, which was partly through activating renal tissue RAS and initiating the function of the AngII-TGF beta(1)-ECM axis. Angiotensin II receptor antagonist, irbesartan, has some renal protective effects on AN rats treated with GH.

Angiotensin II ; analysis ; Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists ; Animals ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; toxicity ; Biphenyl Compounds ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Collagen Type IV ; analysis ; Creatinine ; blood ; Disease Models, Animal ; Doxorubicin ; toxicity ; Fibronectins ; analysis ; Growth Hormone ; pharmacology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kidney Diseases ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Kidney Glomerulus ; chemistry ; drug effects ; pathology ; Male ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; analysis ; Proteinuria ; urine ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serum Albumin ; metabolism ; Tetrazoles ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; analysis ; Triglycerides ; blood

Adult ; Aged ; Angiography ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Cord ; blood supply ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vascular Diseases ; diagnostic imaging