Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Free Radicals ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sports

Objective To assess ventricular function of early stage neonates of different gestational ages by tissue doppler imaging(TDI).Methods Pulsed wave TDI velocities were obtained in 36 cases of premature infants with gestational ages of 32 to 36 weeks(premature group) and 33 cases of full-term infants(full-term group) aged 3 to 7 days at the lateral mitral annulus(MA),basal septum,and lateral tricuspid annulus(TA) during ventricular systole(Sa),early diastole(Ea),late diastole(Aa).Tansmitral and transtricuspid inflow were also obtained through pulsed doppler echocardiography.Results Ea and Sa in all of 3 locations were lower in the premature group compared with that of the full-term group,and Ea/Aa in TA was lower in premature group,but Aa and E/Ea showed no difference between 2 groups.Ea and Sa showed a positive correlation with gestational age and birth weight.Conclusions Ventricular systolic and diastolic function in premature infants are poorer than that in full-term infants in the early stage of neonatal period,and ventricular function is related to intra-uterus growth and maturity of the newborn.Diastolic function of the left ventricle in both groups develops rapidly during the early stage of neonatal period.

In order to solve the problems of erratic drug absorption and low bioavailability after oral administration for poorly-water soluble drugs due to low solubility, a series of novel pharmaceutical dosage forms as solid dispersion, liposome, microemulsion, vesicle, cyclodextrin inclusion complexes and drug nanocrystal have been developed in recent years. Among which drug nanocrystal attracts more attentions for its simpler preparation method, higher drug loading and easier manufacturing technology in the design of dosage forms suitable for different administration routes. In this paper, the nanocrystals of the poorly-water soluble drugs prepared based on bottom-up and top-down technologies were introduced. The characteristics and applications of the nanocrystal-based dosage forms as suspension, tablet and capsule were also introduced and carefully evaluated with the focus on their pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and tissue targeted drug distribution after delivery by oral administration, intravenous injection and pulmonary inhalation. The advantages of drug nanocrystals in their therapeutics effects over the bulk drugs were discussed together with the inherent mechanism. Finally, the problems existing in basic research and scaled-up manufacture of drug nanocrystal as well as the possible ways of solution were listed out so as to make the nanocrystal-based preparations exert their maximum therapeutic effect after clinical application.

Objective To explore the cause, clinical characteristic and the relation to the alterations of bone metabolism and bone mineral density (BMD) in senile male patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods Fifty senile male patients with simple stable COPD were divided into moderate and severe groups based on the diagnostic criteria of pulmonary function. Thirty senile male health volunteers were considered as control group. Blood gas analysis, BMD, bone mineral content (BMC), biochemical indexes relative to the bone formation and bone absorption in blood and urine were measured and analyzed. Results Reductions in BMD and BMC were more significant in two COPD groups than those in control group (P

Aim To investigate the signaling mecha-nisms in endothelial monocyte-activating polypeptide-Ⅱ( EMAP-Ⅱ)-induced increase in blood-tumor barri-er ( BTB ) permeability. Methods Relatively pure cerebral microvessel fragments were obtained from the cortex of 3-5 days old Wistar rats by using careful dis-section, enzyme digestion, and dextran centrifugation. Then, these fragments were seeded on dishes and cul-tured primarily. In vitro BTB models were constructed by co-cultivation of rat brain microvascular endothelial cells ( BMECs) with C6 glioma cells. Confluent mono-layers of co-cultured BMECs were divided randomly in-to 5 groups ( each n=6 ): control, EMAP-Ⅱ, H7 +EMAP-Ⅱ, C3 exoenzyme + EMAP-Ⅱ, and C3 ex-oenzyme + H7 + EMAP-Ⅱ groups. Transendothelial electric resistance values and horseradish peroxidase flux were measured to evaluate changes in the BTB permeability . The expression levels of tight junction-re-lated protein occludin and ZO-1 in BMECs were meas-ured by Western blot. Immunofluorescence was used to identify the expression and distribution of occludin and ZO-1 in BMECs. Also, Western blot were used to de-tect the expression levels of myosin light chain ( MLC) and phosphomyosin light chain ( pMLC ) in BMECs. Results Compared with control group, the BTB per-meability of EMAP-Ⅱ group was increased significant-ly. The expression levels of occludin and ZO-1 in BMECs were significantly decreased, accompanied with marked increase in the expression level of pMLC. These above-mentioned effects of EMAP-Ⅱ were sig-nificantly inhibited by pretreatment with H7 ( an inhib-itor of PKC ) or/and C3 exoenzyme ( an inhibitor of RhoA ) . Conclusion Signaling molecules PKC and RhoA play important roles in EMAP-Ⅱ-induced in-crease in BTB permeability; signaling pathways PKC-pMLC and RhoA-pMLC are involved in this process.

Aim To explore the effect of shikonin on stemness maintance of glioma stem cells ( GSCs ). Methods After the U87-MG cells were cultured and isolated, the sphere cells were identified by immuno-fluorescent staining. The alteration of stemness of GSCs by shikonin treatment(2 μmol·L - 1 ) for 12 h, 24 h and 48 h was valued by morphological detection using optical microscope and sub-sphere forming assay. Mo-reover, the related markers of stem cells, such as CD133, were detected in shikonin treated GSCs by western blot assay. Protein expression of PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt and p-Akt was detected by western blot af-ter shikonin treatment alone. Furthermore, by combi-nation with insulin-like growth factor-1 ( IGF-1), we observed the alteration of stemness maintance of shiko-nin-treated GSCs. Results The presence of neural stem cell related markers CD133 and nestin proved the characteristics of GSCs. Shikonin treatment significant-ly inhibited the morphology of GSCs and the sub-sphere forming. Besides, the reduced expression of CD133 was detected in shikonin treated GSCs. Though, the expression of PI3K and Akt did not change compared with the control group, the expression of p-PI3K and p-Akt was reduced. Furthermore, the combination of IGF-1 markedly attenuated the inhibitory effect of shikonin on stemness maintance of GSCs. Conclusion The stemness maintance of GSCs can be significantly inhibited by shikonin treatment, in which PI3K/ Akt pathway is involved.

This paper is to build a finite element model of brain with a real brain shapeon which simulation studies of electrical impedance tomography EIT in the brain is based. A curve of a real brain shape is simulated with the curve-fitting methods and EIT in the brain is finished with finite-element methods and Equipotential Lines Back-Projection algorithm.The locationarea and amplitude of the change of the resistivity are reconstructed accurately. But the image quality has to be further improved.This paper provides a basis for clinical applications of EIT in brain.

Objective To investigate the etiology and clinical characteristics of pediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH) and improve its early diagnosis and treatment.Methods The clinical and echocardiogram data of all inpatients with PAH in Pediatric Department of Peking University First Hospital between May 1995 and May 2007 were retrospectively analyzed for age,sex,etiology,symptoms and echocardiographic measurement of pulmonary artery pressure.Data were divided into groups according to different etiology and statistics.Pulmonary arterial systolic pressure(sPAP) values estimated from the tricuspid regurgitant velocity by Doppler echocardiography were compared among different groups.Cases who were not belonged to the first category of the Venice Clinical Classification of pulmonary hypertension were not included.Results Totally 276 cases,168 boys and 108 girls were diagnosed to have PAH.Age ranged from 1 month to 17 years,median age was 9 months.Most of pediatric PAH was associated-PAH(267 cases,96.7%),while idiopathic PAH took a small part(9 cases,3.3%).Congenital heart disease-associated PAH(CHD-PAH) was predominant(245 cases,88.7%) and left to right shunt was the main lesion (217 cases,88.6%),while complex lesion-associated PAH comprised 28 cases(11.4%).Connective tissue disease associated PAH(CTD-PAH) was the second common among this group of pediatric PAH patients(19 cases,6.9 %).The incidence of PAH in systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE),juvenile rheumatoid arteritis and takayasu arteritis were 10.3 %(13/126),8.7%(4/46),15.4%(2/13),respectively.The other 3 cases of PAH were associated with portal hypertension(2 cases) and thalassanemia(1 case).The estimated sPAP from tricuspid regurgitant velocity in 8 cases with idiopathic PAH[(74.6?23.9) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa)]was higher significantly compared with those of 33 cases of CHD-PAH [(58.0?19.7) mmHg ] and 12 cases of CTD-PAH [(49.6?18.9) mmHg] respectively(t=-2.052,-2.609 Pa

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of SKy bone expander system in percutaneous kyphoplasty for treat- ment of osteoporotie verterbral compression fracture.Methods:Twenty-two patients(aged 62-90 years,32 vertebrae)under- went percutaneous kyphoplasty using SKy bone expander system.The bone cement was injected into the collapsed vertebrae. The vasual analogue scale(VAS)and complications were recorded during follow up.Results:The operations were successful in all patients via unilateral or bilateral approach.The operation time ranged from 30 to 120 min.The mean volume of cement in- jected into each vertebra body was(4.8?1.1)ml,ranged from 3.1 to 6.8 ml.Extravertebral leakage of bone cement was ob- served in two vertebrae with no symptoms.All patients had their pain relieved;the VAS was 7.6?0.8 before operation,3.5?0.5 one day after operation,2.8?0.6 one week after operation,and 2.4?0.6 one month after operation,with significant difference found between preoperation and postoperation(P

Objective To investigate the dynamic changes of serum levels of neuron-specific enolase(NSE),endothelin(ET)and calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP)and their clinical significance in the elderly patients with acute cerebral infarction.Methods One hundred and twenty elderly patients with acute cerebral infarction(ACI),60 elderly patients with lacunar infarct,60 elderly patients with hypertension and 60 elderly patients with cerebral artherosclerosis were enrolled. The areas of infarction were measured and the venous blood samples at different times were collected after cerebral infarction to determine the concentrations of NSE,ET and CGRP by radioimmunoassay. Results There were dynamic changes of the plasma levels of NSE,ET and CGRP.In the early time the plasma levels of NSE and ET of the elderly patients with acute cerebral infarction were significantly higher than those of the elderly patients with cerebral artherosclerosis,or with hypertension,or with lacunar infarct(P＜0.01,P＜0.01,P＜0.05,respectively),and were gradually declined along with timing.In ACI group,the level of NSE began to increase gradually after 24 hours,reached the highest in 2 days,and decreased to normal after 14 days,but the level of ET was always higher than those in the cerebral artherosclerosis and hypertension groups.The ET levels in lacunar infarct and hypertension groups were also significantly higher than in the cerebral artherosclerosis group(P＜0.01).However,when compared with the cerebral artherosclerosis and hypertension groups,the plasma concentrations of CGRP in cerebral infarction and lacunar infarct groups were obviously lower(P＜0.01),and increased gradually.We also found the larger the infarction area,the lower the level of CGRP.Conclusions The NSE,ET and CGRP concentrations are associated closely with acute cerebral infaction.Monitoring the level of NSE is applicable for early diagnosis of cerebral infarction.