To evaluate the morphology of atrial septum by the live three-dimensional echocardiography (L3DE) and its value of clinical application, L3DE was performed in 62 subjects to observe the morphological characteristics and dynamic change of the overall anatomic structure of atrial septum. The study examined 49 patients with atrial septal defect (ASD), including 3 patients with atrial septal aneurysm, and 10 healthy subjects. ASD in the 35 patients was surgically confirmed. The maximal diameters of ASD were measured and the percentages of area change were calculated. The parameters derived from L3DE were compared with intraoperative measurements. The results showed that L3DE could directly and clearly display the morphological features of overall anatomic structure of normal atrial septum, repaired and artificially-occluded atrial septum, atrial septal aneurysm. The defect area in ASD patients changed significantly during cardiac cycle, which reached a maximum at end-systole and a minimum at end-diastole, with a mean change percentage of 46.6%, ranging from 14.8% to 73.4%. The sizes obtained from L3DE bore an excellent correlation with intraoperative findings (r=0.90). It is concluded that L3DE can clearly display the overall morphological features and dynamic change of atrial septum and measure the size of ASD area accurately, which is important in the decision to choose therapeutic protocols.
Atrial Septum/*ultrasonography ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional/*methods ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial/*pathology ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial/*ultrasonography ; Young Adult

The effects of cardiomyocyte grafting on left ventricular (LV) remodeling and function in rats with chronic myocardial infarction were evaluated using high-frequency ultrasound. Chronic myocardial infarction was induced in 50 Wister rats by ligating the left anterior descending artery. They were randomized into two groups: a trial group that received neonatal rat cardiomyocyte transplantation (n=25) and a control group which were given intramyocardial injection of culture medium (n=25). The left ventricular (LV) geometry and function were evaluated by high-frequency ultrasound before and 4 weeks after the cell transplantation. After the final evaluation, all rats were sacrificed for histological study. The results showed that 4 weeks after the cell transplantation, as compared with the control group, the LV end-systolic dimension, end-diastolic dimension, end-systolic volume and end-diastolic volume were significantly decreased and the LV anterior wall end-diastolic thickness, LV ejection fraction and fractional shortening were significantly increased in the trial group (P<0.01). Histological study showed that transplanted neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were found in all host hearts and identified by Brdu staining. It was suggested that transplantation of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes can reverse cardiac remodeling and improve heart function in chronic myocardial infarction rats. High-frequency ultrasound can be used as a reliable technique for the non-invasive evaluation of the effect of cardiomyocyte transplantation.
Animals, Newborn ; Echocardiography/*methods ; Myocardial Infarction/physiopathology ; Myocardial Infarction/*therapy ; Myocardial Infarction/ultrasonography ; Myocytes, Cardiac/*transplantation ; Random Allocation ; Rats, Wistar ; Ventricular Function, Left/*physiology ; Ventricular Remodeling

Objective To quantitatively describe the texture features of myocardial image in the acute myocardiac infarction (AMI) using image texture analysis. Methods Anterior descending branch of left coronary artery was ligated to set up AMI model in 11 dogs. Image texture was analyzed using grey tone co-occurrence matrix method, and 4 kinds of texture parameters including angular second moment(ASM), contrast(CON), entropy(ENT), and inverse difference moment(IDM) in normal myocardium and infarct myocardium were observed. Results A significant difference in 4 kinds of texture parameters was found between pre- and post-infarct myocardium (P

To investigate the value of echocardiography in the diagnosis of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC), 16 patients in our hospital were diagnosed to have TAPVC by echocardiography from year 1994 to 2001. In 11 cases the results of echocardiography were compared to those of surgery. Each patient was examined by using a combination of precordial, suprasternal and subcostal windows to visualize all the pulmonary veins and their drainage sites, common pulmonary venous trunk, and other associated abnormalities. Of the 16 cases, the drainage sites were as follow: supracardiac in 10, via vertical vein in 9, directly to superior vena cava in 1; cardiac in 5, via coronary sinus in 2, directly to right atrium in 3. Diagnoses were correctly made in all the 11 cases as confirmed by surgery. Echocardiography can also assess pulmonary arterial pressure and detect other associated abnormalities. It is concluded that echocardiography is the preferred examination method in the diagnosis of TAPVC before surgery. With careful examination using multiple windows and sections, TAPVC can be accurately diagnosed by echocardiography.
*Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Heart Defects, Congenital/*ultrasonography ; Pulmonary Veins/*abnormalities ; Pulmonary Veins/ultrasonography

The value of tissue strain imaging (SI) in regional myocardial systolic and diastolic function assessment was studied. In 18 patients with nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and 20 age-matched healthy subjects, regional myocardial longitudinal peak systolic strain in eject time (represented by epsilon(et)) was measured at basal, mid and apical segments of septal, lateral and posterior walls of the left ventricle (LV) and compared between groups. Epsilon(et) had no significant difference between segments in control group (P > 0.05), which displayed a decreasing trend from basal segments to apical ones. Epsilon(et) in the HCM group was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) as compared with that in the healthy group. In the HCM group, epsilon(et) in the midseptum was significantly less than at the basal and apical septum, and was also less than at the rest LV walls in the same group (P < 0.01). The systolic reversed epsilon(et) was noticed in 35% of the hypertrophic segments in HCM group. Significantly negative correlation existed between the absolute value of epsilon(et) and wall thickness in the midseptum (r = -0.83). The post-systolic strain (PSS) segment number the and amplitudes in healthy group were significantly less than those in HCM group (P < 0.05). Both regional myocardial systolic and diastolic functions were impaired in hypertrophic or non-hypertrophic segments in patients with the HCM, especially in hypertrophic segments. Strain imaging technique is a sensitive and accura tool in myocardial dysfunction assessment.

The left ventricular twist was evaluated by 2-dimensional ultrasound speckle-tracking imaging (STI) in 50 patients with hypertension with normal geometric left ventricle (LV) and 45 normal subjects as control group. The mean value of LV rotation was obtained at each plane using STI. LV twist and twist velocity were defined as apical rotation/rotation rate relative to the base respectively. To adjust the intersubject differences in heart rates, the time sequence were normalized. The results showed that peak twist developed near the end of systole. Peak LV twist was significantly higher in patients with hypertension than normal controls (P<0.001). The diastolic untwisting mainly occurred in early diastole ( approximately 38%). Compared with normal controls, untwisting rate (Untw R) in patients with hypertension was significantly reduced (P<0.001), and untwisting half-time (UHT) was significantly delayed (P<0.05). This study demonstrated that STI has a potential ability to evaluate the early change of heart function in patients with hypertension by measuring the twist of LV.
Cardiology/*methods ; Case-Control Studies ; Diastole ; Echocardiography/*methods ; Heart/physiopathology ; Heart Ventricles/*pathology ; Hypertension/*pathology ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Systole

Objective To investigate the effect of metoclopramide combined with psychological intervention on nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Methods From January 2015 to January 2017, 90 patients with nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy according to the different treatment and nursing intervention mode were divided into the control group and the observation group, 45cases in each group. The control group were given granisetron and routine nursing, the observation group were received metoclopramide and psychological intervention. The experimental data was recorded and compared, the improvement of nausea and vomiting were observed. Results The clinical effect in the observation group is better than that in the control group. The improvement of nausea and vomiting, the nursing satisfaction in the observation group were better than those in the control group. The differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion Metoclopramide combined with psychological intervention on the treatment of the patients with nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, curative effect is obvious, which can effectively improve the nausea and vomiting, nursing satisfaction is high, which is worthy of clinical application.

AIM: To evaluate myocardial relaxation function changes in an adriamycin-induced cardiomyopathy model using the transmitral flow velocity to mitral annular velocity ratio (E/E'), a strong positive relationship with left ventricular filling pressure and a good indicator for evaluating left ventricular diastolic relaxation abnormality. METHODS: Twenty-eight Japanese rabbits were divided into two groups. Adriamycin was administered at cardiomyopathy model. 8 rabbits served as controls receiving the same amount of saline once a week for a total of 8 weeks. Conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) were performed at baseline, 4th, 6th,8th, 10th and 12th week. RESULTS: In the adriamycin-treated group, LV chamber diameter significantly increased, while ejection fraction and fraction shortening significantly decreased in 10th and 12th week (P ＜0.05). The significant changes were firstly found in 10th week. Mitral annulus systolic peak velocity (S') by TDE significantly decreased in 8th, 10th and 12th week ( P ＜0.05). The significant changes were firstly found in 8th week. The ratio of E/E' significantly increased in 6th,8th, 10th and 12th week (P ＜ 0.05). The significant changes were firstly found in 6th week. In the control group, no significant changes were found in all parameter by tissue Doppler conventional echocardiography (P ＞0.05). CONCLUSION: Myocardial function is reduced in adriamycin-induced rabbit model of dilated cardiomyopathy. The relaxation parameter (E/E') by TDE changes is earlier than contraction indices S' by TDE and conventional echocardiography in adriamycin-induced cardiomyopathy rabbits, which provides a new sensitive and reliable method to evaluate LV relaxation function.

Objective To evaluate left atrial(LA)function in patients with prophase essential hypertension (EH)by left atrial volume tracking(LAVT)method.Methods Thirty prophase EH patients and 35 healthy subjects(control group)were enrolled in this study.Ultrasound LAVT(Hitachi EUB-6500)was applied to display and analyze the LA volume loop imaging on the standard LV apical two and four chamber views.The maximal LA volume at end-systole(LAVmax),LA volume at the onset of ECG-P wave(LAVP),the minimal LA volume at end-diastole(LAVmin)from the LA volume loop were recorded,and body surface area was used to revise these volume indexs(LAVImax,LAVIp,LAVImin).LA pass,act and total empting volume(LAVIpass,LAVIact,LAVItotal)and empting rate(%LAVIpass,%LAVIact,%LAVItotal),effective pass and act erupting rate(%eLAVIpass,%eLAVIaet),and the proportionality of pass empting volume and act empting volume were caculated.Results The LAVIp,LAVIact,LAVItotal,%LAVIact,%LAVItotal,%eLAVIact in the prophase EH group were significantly higher than those in the control group,wheras the LAVIpass,%LAVIpass,%eLAVIpass,LAVIpass/act were lower(all P＜0.05,or P＜0.01).Conclusions The LA volume change in prophase EH is the act empting volume increased at end-diastole in main,LAVT is a potientially useful tool to evaluate the function of LA.

Objective To determine whether it could enhance gene delivery and tumor transfection in vivo by combination of ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction(UTMD)with polyethylenimine(PEI)in tumor xenografts.Methods Two different reporter plasmid[lueiferase(pCMV-LUC)and red fluorescent protein(RFP)]were incubated with PEI to prepare cationic compound(PEI/DNA)in various nitrogen:phosphate ratios(N/P ratios,nmol of nitrogen in the PEI/nmol of phosphate in DNA).Formation of PEI/DNA complexes were confirmed by the gel retardation assay.Human cervical carcinoma(Hela)tumors were planted subcutaneously in both flanks of female nude mice.Tumor-bearing mice were administered by tail vein with PBS,plasmid,plasmid and Sono Vue microbubble,PEI/DNA and Sono Vue microbubble.One tumor was exposed to ultrasound irradiation (3 MHz,2 W/cm2,2 min exposure,duty cycle 20%),while the other served as control.The feasibility of targeted delivery and tissue specificity facilitated by UTMD and PEI was investigated.The mice were sacrificed 3 days after ultrasound exposure.Tissue specimens were viewed with microscopy to determine the presence of RFP expression.The efficiencies of luciferase transgene expression were determined.Histology analysis was detected.Results Electrophoresis experiment revealed that PEI was mixed with plasmid to condense DNA efficiently.The application of UTMD significantly increases the tissue transfection in vivo compared to plasmid alone.RFP expression was present in all sections of tumors that received ultrasound exposure but not in control tumors.Results of luciferase activity showed that the expression of luciferase was to be 14 times greater in ultrasound-exposed tumors(P＜0.01).More importantly,the increase in transgene expresgion was related to UTMD with the presence of PEI dramatically.At least 10-fold increase of luciferase gene transfer was obtained in irradiated tumors compared to non-irradiated controls(P＜0.01),111-fold increase compared to UTMD alone(P＜0.01).There was not significantly gene expression in other organs or tissues regardless of US exposure(P＞0.05).No tissue damage was seen histologically.Conclusions The combination of UTMD with PEI can enhance targeted delivery and expression of reporter gene to tumors at intravenous administration.It is a promising new and safe method for gene delivery in vivo.