Objective To detect the levels of five trace elements in whole blood of patients with Keshan disease(KSD) and dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM) and explore their role in the pathogenesis of KSD.Methods One hundred and four patients with chronic KSD were selected from Keshan diseased areas in Shandong,Sichuan and Inner Mongolia.Thirty patients with DCM were selected from Qilu Hospital of Shandong University,Jinan Central Hospital,The First People's Hospital.Ninety-one healthy people from KSD endemic areas and 39 healthy people from Jinan were selected as endemic healthy controls and non-endemic healthy controls,respectively.Blood samples were collected to determinate the level of selenium (Se),copper (Cu),zinc (Zn),chromium (Cr) and manganese (Mn) with fluorescence method and atomic absorption spectrometry,according to the principle of informed consent.Results The level of Se,Zn and Cr of KSD group[(36.0 + 4.9)μg/L,(22.73 + 4.62)mg/L,(0.56 + 0.17)mg/L] was significantly lower than that of non-endemic healthy controls [(56.4 ± 6.8)lμg/L,(25.35 ± 4.44)mg/L,(0.71 ± 0.17)mg/L,all P ＜ 0.05],but the level of Cu of KSD group[(0.95 ± 0.24)mg/L] was significantly higher than that of non-endemic healthy controls[(0.73 ± 0.13) mg/L,all P ＜ 0.05].The level of Se and Cr of KSD was significantly lower than that of endemic healthy controls[(54.5 ± 5.4)μg/L,(0.87 ± 0.02)mg/L,P ＜ 0.05],and Cu was significantly higher than that of endemic healthy controls[(0.66 ± 0.02)mg/L,P ＜ 0.05].The level of Cu and Zn of KSD was significantly lower than that of DCM [(1.21 ± 0.23)mg/L,(27.09 ± 7.10)mg/L,all P ＜ 0.01].The level of Se and Cr of DCM group[(39.6 ± 3.5)μg/L,(0.58 ± 0.14)mg/L] was significantly lower than that of non-endemic healthy controls(all P ＜ 0.01),but Cu[(1.21 + 0.23)mg/L] was significantly increased (P ＜ 0.01).Compared with non-endemic healthy controls,the level of Se of endemic healthy control group was significantly decreased (P ＜ 0.01),while Cu was significantly increased (P ＜ 0.01).Se,Zn and Cr level of KSD decreased gradually following elevated heart function level,but the level of Cu gradually increased.Conclusions The metabolism of Se,Cr,Cu and Zn is unbalanced in KSD patients,whose Se level is still lower than that of people in non-endemic areas.The change of Se,Cr,Cu and Mn level between KSD and DCM is consistent.

OBJECTIVETo observe the protective effects of safflor Injection (SI) and extract of Ginkgo biloba (EGB) on lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (LIRI) and investigate its mechanism.

METHODSIn vivo rabbit model of LIRI was reconstructed. Forty rabbits were randomly and equally divided into four groups: sham-operation group (sham group), ischemia-reperfusion group (model group), ischemia-reperfusion plus SI group (safflor group) and ischemia-reperfusion plus EGB injection group (EGB group). Malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and xanthine oxidase (XO) activity in serum were measured. The wet/dry weight ratio (W/D) of the lung tissue and activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) were also tested. Ultrastructure change of the lung tissue was observed by the electron microscope. The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

RESULTSIn the model group, MDA and XO increased and SOD decreased in serum compared with the sham group (P<0.01). The values of W/D, MPO and ICAM-1 of the model group were higher than those of the sham group (P<0.01), but those of the safflor group and EGB group were significantly lower than those of the model group (P<0.01). The IHC demonstrated that ICAM-1 expression in lung tissue of the model group was significantly higher than those of the safflor group (P<0.01). Compared with safflor group, in the EGB group MDA, XO, MPO decreased, SOD and ICAM-1 expression increased (P<0.05), but the change of W/D was not statistically significant (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSI and EGB may attenuate LIRI through antioxidation, inhibition of neutrophil aggregation and down-regulation of ICAM-1 expression. But EGB had more effect on the antioxidation, while SI did better on regulating ICAM-1 expression.

Animals ; Female ; Ginkgo biloba ; chemistry ; Immunohistochemistry ; Injections ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Lung ; blood supply ; pathology ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Protective Agents ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rabbits ; Reperfusion Injury ; blood ; drug therapy ; Safflower Oil ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood ; Xanthine Oxidase ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of preventive moxibustion at the acupoint of 'Guanyuan" (CV 4) on the stress-related hormones, proteins and genes in natural menopausal rats, and explore its protective mechanism.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty eight healthy female SD rats were used in this study, in which 16 rats aged 4 months were used as normal control group, the rest 10-month-old rats with disorder of estrus cycle were randomly divided into 7 groups, including 4 control groups at the age of 10, 12, 14 and 16 months, and 3 preventive moxibustion groups at the age of 12, 14 and 16 months, 16 cases in each group. The 10-month-old rats were treated with preventive moxibustion at the acupoint of "Guanyuan" (CV 4), twice a week for 8 weeks consistently, then observed on the following 12, 14 and 16 months. Its effects on the level of heat shock protein 70 (HSP 70), heat shock protein 70 mRNA (HSP 70 mRNA), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), beta-endorphin (beta-EP), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) in the different nuclei of hypothalamus were examined with radio-immunity, immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization methods.

RESULTSIn the control groups, the expression of HSP 70 and HSP 70 mRNA was increased in paraventricular, arcuate and supraoptic nucleus, the level of CRH, beta-EP was showed with declining trend in volatility, while the content of ACTH was increased. In comparison to the same-aged control groups, the preventive moxibustion groups were showed that the expression of HSP 70 in the 14-month-old group was lower and the expression of HSP 70 mRNA in the 12 and 16-month-old group was significantly higher in the paraventricular nucleus (all P < 0.05), the expression of HSP 70 in the 12 and 14-month-old groups and HSP 70 mRNA in the 12-month-old group was significantly increased in the arcuate nucleus (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), while the expression of HSP 70 in the 14-month-old group and HSP 70 mRNA in the 12 and 16-month-old group was significantly decreased in the supraoptic nucleus (all P < 0.05), the content of CRH and ACTH decreased significantly in 14-month group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), but the content of beta-EP obviously went up in the 12-month-old group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPreventive moxibustion at the acupoint of "Guanyuan" (CV 4) can regulate the expression of stress proteins, genes and hormones in the hypothalamus for the natural menopausal rats, which might be playing a protective role.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; metabolism ; Animals ; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone ; metabolism ; Female ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hypothalamic Hormones ; metabolism ; Menopause ; genetics ; metabolism ; Models, Animal ; Moxibustion ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; beta-Endorphin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanism of "preventive acupuncture and moxibustion" for regulating hypothalamic function in ovariectomy rats.

METHODSThirty female SD rats, aged 3.5 months, were randomly divided into normal group, sham operation group, ovariectomy model group, preventive acupuncture group and preventive moxibustion group. After "preventive acupuncture and moxibustion" were previously given to the preventive acupuncture group and the preventive moxibustion group for one month, respectively. At the same time, ovarietomy was made in the preventive acupuncture group, the preventive moxibustion group and the ovariectomy model group. For the sham operation group, only a little fat around the ovary was removed without ovariectomy, and nothing was not applied to the normal group. Immunohistochemical and in situs hybridization methods were used to investigate changes of expressions of ER-alpha and ER-alpha mRNA in paraventricular nucleus, supraoptic nucleus and arcuate nucleus.

RESULTSIn the model group the expressions of ER-alpha and ER-alpha mRNA in paraventricular nucleus and the expression of ER-alpha mRNA in supraoptic nucleus increased significantly (P<0.01), but the expression of ER-alpha dropped significantly in both supraoptic nucleus and arcuate nucleus (P<0.01). After preconditioning with acupuncture or moxibustion, the expression of ER-alpha mRNA in paraventricular nucleus significantly reduced (P<0.05), and the expression of ER-alpha had no significant change (P>0.05); the expression of ER-alpha in supraoptic nucleus and arcuate nucleus significantly increased (P<0.01 or P<0.05), and the expression of ER-alpha mRNA in paraventricular nucleus had no significant change (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION"Preventive acupuncture and moxibustion" at "Guanyuan" (CV 4) have an effect on the expressions of ER-alpha and ER-alpha mRNA in different hypothalamic nuclei in ovariectomy rats, which possibly is one of the ways for modulating the hypothalamic activity.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Cell Nucleus ; genetics ; metabolism ; Estrogen Receptor alpha ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; Moxibustion ; Ovariectomy ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

A 69-year old female patient was admitted because of 3 days of worsened chest pain.Coronary angiography showed60% stenosis of distal left main stem,chronic total occlusion of left anterior descending (LAD),70% stenosis at the ostium of a smallleft circumflex,70-90%stenosis at the paroxysmal and middle part of a dominant fight coronary artery (RCA),and a normal left internalmammary artery (LIMA) with normal origination and orientation.Percutaneous intervention was attempted but failed on the occludedlesion of LAD.The patient received minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) with left LIMA isolation by Davincirobot.Eleven days later,the RCA lesion was treated by Sirolimus Rapamicin eluting stents implantation percutaneously.Then thepatient was discharged uneventfully after 3 days hospitalization.Our experience suggests that two stop shops of hybrid technique befeasible and safe in the treatment of elderly patient with multiple coronary diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association between genetic polymorphisms of xenobiotic- metabolizing enzymes GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1 and susceptibility to laryngeal carcinoma from the Han people in Guangdong zone. METHOD: A case-control study was conducted involving 233 LSCC (laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma) patients and 102 healthy controls to investigate the association between polymorphisms of GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1 (Ile/Val) and LSCC from the Han people in Guangdong zone. All blood samples of the Han people from the Guangdong zone was analyzed with methods of PCR, ASA and the DNA sequencing technique with sequenator. We explored the association between polymorphisms and the clinical pathologic characteristics of LSCC. The data was processed with SPSS13.0. Odds Ratios (ORs) with 95% CI for relevancy intensity were calculated using binary logistic regression analysis. RESULT: The frequency of GSTM1(-) and GSTT1(-) genotype was higher in LSCC than that in healthy controls (OR = 2.61, 3.05, P < 0.01). There was synergic effect between GSTT1 (-) genotype and heavily smoking during carcinogenesis of LSCC (OR = 3.51, 95% CI 2.05-5.01; OR = 2.99, 95% CI 2.00-4.49). The frequency of GSTM1(-) and GSTT1(-) genotype was higher in LSCC whose family had carcinoma history. The frequency of advanced LSCC was higher in patients who were with GSTM1(-) and GSTT1 (-) genotype (P < 0.05). There was no difference of the frequency of GSTP1(I le/Val) genotype between and in healthy controls (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION There may be an association between the susceptibility to carcinoma and GSTT1(-), GSTM1(-) genotype. The GSTT1(-) polymorphism c gene cooperating with heavily smoking boost up the susceptibility of individual to laryngeal carcinoma. The GSTM1(-) polymorphism c may not cooperating with smoking during carcinogenesis of LSCC in the Han people in Guangdong zone. The morphisms of GSTT1 and GSTM1 gene may affect the carcino-genesis of LSCC in the Han people in Guangdong zone. There may be no association between the susceptibility to laryngeal carcinoma and the GSTP1(Ile/Val) type.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Glutathione S-Transferase pi ; genetics ; Glutathione Transferase ; genetics ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic

Diabetic cognitive dysfunction (DCD) is a common chronic complication of diabetes mellitus with sophisticated path-ogenesis which has not yet been fully elucidated. In this review paper, the mechanisms of metabolic abnormalities, insulin re-sistance,endoplasmic reticulum stress,neuronal calcium dysho-meostasis, in ammation, blood brain barrier impairment, and mitochondrial injury associated with DCD are reviewed. In addi-tion,the prevention and treatment of DCD by traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) and the effective compounds are comprehen-sively summarized, in order to provide an updated overview on the DCD pathogenesis,as well as the scientific evidence under-pinning the use of TCM interventions for the treatment and pre-vention of DCD.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of Xuefu Zhuyu decoction as an adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with advanced cervical cancer.Methods This study recruited advanced cervical cancer patients who underwent TP regimen(paclitaxel+cisplatin)chemotherapy in Luzhou District People's Hospital in Changzhi City from January 2019 to January 2021.According to the random number table method,patients with advanced cervical cancer were divided into a control group(treated with TP regimen)and an test group(treated with TP regimen combined with Xuefu Zhuyu decoction).The serum tumor marker levels(carcinoembryonic antigen,squamous cell carcinoma antigen and carbohydrate antigen 125),traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores and clinical efficacy[objective response rate,disease control rate and overall survival time]between two groups of patients were observed and compared.The occurrence of adverse drug reactions was assessed according to the Common Terminology Standard for Adverse Events(CTCAE 4.03).Results A total of 92 cases of advanced cervical cancer were included in this study,with 46 cases in each group.Before treatment,there was no significant statistical difference in the serum tumor marker levels and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores between the control group and the test group with advanced cervical cancer(P>0.05).After treatment,the serum tumor marker levels and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores in the test group and the control group significantly decreased compared to before(P<0.05),and they were significantly lower in the test group than those in the control group(P<0.05).In terms of clinical efficacy,there was no significant difference in objective response rate between two groups(P>0.05),while the disease control rate and median overall survival time of the test group were significantly higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).In terms of safety,no fatal adverse events were observed,and most adverse events were mild and controllable.In addition,there was no significant difference in the incidence of nausea and vomiting,anemia,thrombocytopenia and renal dysfunction between two groups(P>0.05),while the incidence of leukopenia and liver function injury in the test group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion Xuefu Zhuyu decoction can significantly improve the efficacy of chemotherapy patients with advanced cervical cancer,reduce serum tumor marker expression levels,improve traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores,increase disease control rate,prolong overall survival,and has high safety.

OBJECTIVETo elucidate the roles of monocyte chemotactic factors (MCP-1, RANTES and Fractalkine) on the vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaques in patients with stable (SAP) and unstable angina pectoris (UAP).

METHODSPatients with SAP (n = 50) and UAP (n = 50) underwent coronary angiography (CAG) and intravenous ultrasound (IVUS) were included in the study. Monocyte chemotaxis was assayed by the transwell chamber. Concentrations of hs-CRP, MCP-1, RANTES and Fractalkine were measured by Enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA). mRNA expression of MCP-1, RANTES and Fractalkine in the monocytes was detected by RT-PCR.

RESULTSIVUS evidenced soft lipid plaques in 48% UAP patients and in 16% SAP patients (P < 0.05). SAP patients had mainly fibrous and mixed plaques. Plaque burden and vascular remodeling index were significantly higher in UAP patients than in SAP patients (P < 0.01). The averaged number of migrated monocytes in the UAP patients were higher than that in patients with SAP (P < 0.01). Concentration of hs-CRP, MCP-1, RANTES and Fractalkine were significantly higher in UAP patients than those of SAP patients (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). mRNA expression of MCP-1, RANTES and Fractalkine in patients with UAP was significantly higher than those of SAP patients (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONUpregulated monocyte chemotactic factors (MCP-1, RANTES and Fractalkine) might promote coronary plaque vulnerability in UAP patients.

Angina Pectoris ; metabolism ; pathology ; Angina, Unstable ; metabolism ; pathology ; Chemokine CCL2 ; metabolism ; Chemokine CCL5 ; metabolism ; Chemokine CX3CL1 ; metabolism ; Coronary Angiography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics

BACKGROUNDThis study aimed to observe the differences in brain gray matter volume in drug-naive female patients after the first episode of major depression with and without stressful life events (SLEs) before the onset of depression.

METHODSForty-three drug-naive female patients voluntarily participated in the present study after the first major depressive episode. The life event scale was used to evaluate the severity of the impact of SLEs during 6 months before the onset of the major depressive episode. High-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained, and the VBM and SPM8 software process were used to process and analyze the MRI.

RESULTSCompared to that in patients without SLEs, the volume of brain gray matter was lower in the bilateral temporal lobe, right occipital lobe, and right limbic lobe in the SLE group. However, the gray matter volume did not differ significantly between the two groups after the application of false discovery rate (FDR) correction.

CONCLUSIONSAlthough the results of the present study suggest the absence of significant differences in brain gray matter volume between female drug-naive patients after the first episode of major depression with and without SLEs after FDR correction, the study provides useful information for exploring the definitive role of stress in the onset of depression.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Depression ; physiopathology ; Female ; Gray Matter ; anatomy & histology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Software ; Stress, Physiological ; physiology ; Young Adult