Objective To evaluate whether High-Dose folic acid supplementation may improve endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease undergone interventional therapy. Methods Forty six patients with coronary artery disease and undergone interventional therapy were divided into two groups: 23 with folic acid supplement (20 mg/d) and 23 Patients without folic acid as the controls for 6 months. Plasma homocystine (Hcy) was measured by fluorescence polarization immunoassay and Flow-mediated endothelium-dependent dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery was assessed by high resolution ultrasound before and after 6 months. Results Compared with the control, folic acid supplementation resulted in lower plasma Hcy levels (8.82?3.32 ?mol/L vs 13.16?5.06 ?mol/L, P

The arteries of the foot in one hundred Chinese adult specimens were dissected and examined. 1. The dorsalis pedis artery was absent in 4%, and it originated from an abnormal origin in 5%, its course and relationship with the tendon of the extensor hallucis longus and deep peroneal nerve were also described. 2. The anterior medial and anterior lateral malleolar arteries originated more commonly at the level of the ankle joint, and sometimes they may originate from the dorsalis pedis artery. 3. The origin and number of the medial tarsal artery were variable, but that of the lateral tarsal artery were more constant. 4. The arcuate artery was present in 35%, but only 17% was typical in form, from which the 2nd-4th dorsal metatarsal arteries were giving off. 5. The sources of the dorsal metatarsal arteries were the most variable. The first dorsal metatarsal arteries which arose from dorsal or plantar aspect were similar in percentages. The 2nd-4th dorsal metatarsal arteries often originated from the plantar aspect, but it was not uncommon that they came equally from dorsal and plantar aspects. 6. The artery of the tarsal sinus was usually present, it may be divided into two categories, namely the proximal and the distal artery, with their distinct origins and courses. 7. The arterial trunks in the sole of the foot were more constant. The posterior tibial artery usually branched into its two main branches near the lower border of the laciniate ligament. 8. The lateral plantar artery was greater than the medial in 82%. And 71% of the plantar arch was formed chiefly by the deep plantar branch of the dorsalis pedis artery. 9. The plantar metatarsal arteries originated usually from the plantar arch, sometimes the neighbouring arteries may have a common trunk. The course of the Ist-3rd plantar metatarsal arteries was constant, but that of the 4th may be variable. Finally, some questions about the arteries of the foot, present in previous literatures, were briefly discussed.

The facial, retromandibular and external jugular veins of the neck were studied in a total of 230 Chinese cadavers.1. The external jugular vein can be divided into six types and fourteen subtypes. Type Ⅰ(40.22％) and type Ⅲ (29.13％) occurred more frequently in this series.2. The facial vein drains into the external jugular vein in 41.09％. It drains directly or indirectly into the internal jugular vein in 43.91％.3. The anterior branch of the retromandibular vein usually drains into the internal jugular vein and it runs through the space deep to the posterior, belly of the digastric and the stylohyoid muscles in 83.70％.4. The presence of the so called common facial vein occurred only in 29.13％.5. The external jugular vein often drains into the subclavian vein. It appears in 46.57％ in our observation.6. The external jugular vein crosses the inferior belly of the omohyoid muscle, when it runs downwards in the lower part of the external cervical triangle. It usually lies superficial to the omohyoid in 66.16％, deep to it in 26.35％.

OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of Qinzao jiufei decoction on radiation-induced lung injury and expression of plasma transforming growth factor beta-1(TGF-?1)and interleukin-1(IL-1).METHODS:Local middle and advanced thoracic tumor patients with radiotherapy were randomized into treatment group and control group. Both groups were given radiotherapy. Treatment group were additionally given Qingzao jiufei decoction (200 mL,b.i.d.) for 6 months. The level of TGF-?1 and IL-1 were determined before and after radiotherapy. After 15 days of radiotherapy,clinical symptoms,lung function and high-resolution CT manifestation of thorax were evaluated. RESULTS:There were statistical significance between two groups in respect of TGF-?1 and IL-1 in serum(P

AIM: To investigate the role of angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) and Tie2 receptor in angiogenesis after myocardial infarction through detecting their mRNA expression in normal and infracted myocardium. METHODS: The experiment was conducted in the laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Department of Peking University from April 2006 to April 2007. Forty male SD rats were randomly divided into acute myocardial infarction model group and sham-operation group. The myocardial infarction model was established in the rats of model group through the ligation of left anterior descending artery, while the rats in sham operation group were braided of the left anterior descending artery without ligation. Five rats in both groups were executed at 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after model establishment. RNA was extracted from the same site of left anterior wall, and the polymerase chain reaction was used to semiquantitatively analyze the Ang1 and Tie2 receptor mRNA expression with GAPDH gene as internal control; meanwhile, the immunohistochemistry was used to detect vascular density in and around infarction area. All the treatments for animals were accorded with the animal ethical standards. RESULTS: All 40 rats were included in the final analysis. Both Ang1 and Tie2 receptor were expressed in normal myocardium. In the 28 days after myocardial infarction, Ang1 expression kept at almost the same level without changing, but Tie2 receptor expression was slightly elevated at 3 days, reached peak value at 7 days, and returned to the baseline value at 14 days. The vascular density increased both infarction and peri-infarction area at 7 days after acute myocardial infarction, and did not change with time. CONCLUSION: Tie2 receptor expression is elevated and coincided with angiogenesis after myocardial infarction. It may play a role in the development and stabilization of the blood vessel after myocardial infarction.

Objective To analyze the evolutionary trend of clinical features in infective endocarditis.Methods The study enrolled 68 patients who were diagnosed as having infective endocarditis from July 1987 to July 2007.The patients were divided into two groups:group Ⅰ included patients from 1987 to 1997,group Ⅱ included patients from 1997 to 2007.All clinic data were compared.Results In both groups,61 patients(89.7%) had basic heart diseases,67 patients(98.5%) had fever and 62 patients(91.2%)had cardiac murmur;41 patients(60.3%) had positive results in the blood culture.Vegetations were found in 57 cases(83.8%) by echocardiography.The rate of surgical treatment was 19.1%,the total cure rate was 66.7%.Comparing the data between the two groups,age of onset changed from (36.7?12.7)years to (44.4?18.6)years(P

Objective To explore the relating factors for cognitive dysfunction in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).Methods Totally 150 patients with acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) and 150 gender and age-matched healthy subjects (controls) received the cognitive and depression function assessment.150 AECOPD cases were classified into two groups:COPD patients with or without cognitive dysfunction.Fasting blood uric acid (UA) was measured and compared between the two groups.Relating factors for cognition dysfunction were analyzed.Results The score of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was reduced in AECOPD patients as compared with controls [(19.01±3.58) vs.(26.58±1.42)scores,t=-3.48,P=0.032].The score of Hamilton depression (HAMD) scale was higher in AECOPD patients than in controls [(18.05 ± 4.50) vs.(9.98 ± 3.51) scores,t =4.63,P =0.028].The prevalence of cognitive impairment in the patients with AECOPD was 82 cases (54.7％).The serum UA level was lower in the AECOPD patients with cognitive impairment than in patients without cognitive impairment [(235±42) μmol/L (n=82) vs.(332±45) μmol/L (n=68),t=-6.65,P=0.003].In AECOPD patients,the cognitive function was correlated with education,length of hospital stay,serum UA level,COPD stages,disease duration and the depression level,but was not correlated with smoking and body mass index.Conclusions The cognitive impairment is highly prevalent in patients with AECOPD,which is associated with lower serum UA level,longer hospital stay and disease severity.

Objective To observe the lung protection of Astragalus membranaceus against radiotherapy to intermediate-stage and terminal thoracic neoplasm, and its influence on TNF-α and ET expression.Methods The patients with intermediate-stage and terminal thoracic neoplasm under radiotherapy were divided into a treatment group and a control group.Patients in the treatment group took 10 ml of Asragalus membranaceus twice a day.for consecutive 6 months from the beginning of radio therapy.TNF-α and ET in the plasma were measured before and after the radiotherapy.The clinical symptom,iconographic changes and lung diffusion were observed from the 15th day of radiotherapy.Results The TNF-α and ET in plasma afterthe radiotherapy were(2.48±0.75)as/ml and(69.32±23.03)pg/ml for the treatment group,and(5.12±1.01)ns/ml and(97.87±37.83)pg/ml for the control group with the statistial difference(x2=7.49,6.57,P<0.001).The decrease of CO diffusion 5 and 10 months after the radiotherapy in the treatment group was statistically different compared with that in the control group(x2=3.98,3.78,P<0.05).There was a statistical difference of the incidence of acute radiation pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis between these two groups(P<0.05).Conclusions Astragalus membranaceus could inhibit the excess expression of TNF-α and ET in plasma and reduce the deterioration of diffusion after radiotherapy,so that it can be used for intervention of lung injuries from radiotherapy.

Objective To evaluate Left ventricular(LV) diastolic function in essential hypertension by conventional pulse-wave Doppler echocardiography (cPWD) and Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) and compare the two modalities. Methods Two hundred patients with essential hypertension were classified as NLVH subgroup (n = 160) and LVH subgroup (n =40) based on left ventricular mass index (LVMI) with one hundred and sixty health subjects as control group. The mitral valve flow pattern (MVFP) was obtained.Early diastolic (E) and late velocities (A) were measured and E/A was calculated. DTI was used to obtain the left ventricular lateral wall early diastolic mitral annulus velocity (Em) and E/Em was calculated.Results Essential hypertension patients had LV diastolic dysfunction both by cPWD (higher E and lower E/A ratio) and DTI (lower Em and higher E/Em ratio) compared with healthy subjects [E:(0. 88 ±0. 18)cm/s vs (0. 76 ±0. 19) cm/s;E/A ratio:0. 86 ±0. 28 vs 1.02 ±0. 38;Em: (9. 4 ±2. 8)cm/s vs (11. 9 ±3. 8)cm/s;E/Em ratio;7. 9 ± 2. 7 vs 6. 0 ± 1. 8: with all P value ＜0.01]. Em was significantly reduced and E/Em was significantly elevated in LVH subgroup than NLVH subgroup [Em; (7.7 ±2. 6) cm/s vs (9. 9 ± 2. 8) cm/s, E/Em: 9. 6 ± 3. 6 vs 7. 4 ± 2. 4, P ＜ 0. 05]. No significant difference was found in A and E/A between these two subgroups [(0. 90 ± 0. 22) cm/s vs (0. 87 ± 0. 17) cm/s; 0. 80 ± 0. 34 vs 0.88 ±0.28, P ＞ 0.05]. Conclusions cPWD and DTI both had implications to detect diastolic dysfunction in non-hypertrophic stage hypertension. Em、E/Em could be more sensitive and precise to reflect the impairment of diastolic function in the progress of hypertension.

Tumor progression locus 2 (Tpl2) is a crucial three-stage kinase of the mitogen-activited protein kinase (MAPK) family,which plays an important role in MAPK pathway and other signaling pathways.In recent years,a large number of studies have found that aberrant expressing Tpl2 is involved in tumorigenesis and development of various cancers,and is expected to serve as a new biomarker and therapeutic target.Therefore,to reveal the mechanism of Tpl2 will provide a feasible theoretical basis and potential interventional target for the diagnosis and treatment of cancers.