Objective The significance of serum cytokine profile in coronary heart disease patients have been evaluated by observing the variation cytokines Methods The serum IL-1 a,IL-1 ?,IL-2,IL-4, IL-6 ,IL-8,IL-10,VEGF,IFN-?,,TNF-?,MCP-1 and EGF in 76 patients and 26 matched healthy volunteers have been observed.Serum cytokines had been measured by protein chips methods in EVIDENCE 180 automatic biochips analyzer and cytokine profile were got by bioinformatics.Results The serum level of IL-1?,IL-6,IL-8,and TNF-? were (4.32?8.14) ng/L ,(13.16?16.81) rig/L,(375.53?292.14) ng/L,(15.46?15.38) ng/L respectively,which increased obviously in patients (P

Objective To establish a rapid assay for genotyping of IL-6-597G/A and-572G/C polymorphisms by duplex real-time PCR assay.Methods One pair of primers and two pairs of fluorescent hybridization probes had been used to genotype two mutation sites in the promoter region of IL-6 gene by fluorescent resonance energy transfer and melting curves.Results Duplex real-time PCR method for genotyping of two mutation sites simultaneously had been developed and 123 health people samples were analyzed by this new method.The results showed that three genotypes were found in IL-6 gene-572G/C polymorphisms.They were GG,GC and CC genotypes.IL-6 gene promoter-597G/A polymorphism analysis showed 4 cases displayed GA genotype and other possessed GG genotype.No AA genotype had been found.Conclusions Duplex real-time PCR method is simple and fast.It provided an accurate and economic method which is suitable for clinical gene genotyping.

Objective: To observe the clinical effects of moxibustion at abdominal acupoints for slow transit constipation (STC) due to yang deficiency of the spleen and kidney. Methods: A total of 52 cases with slow transit constipation in conformity with the inclusion criteria were selected and divided into a control group and an observation group according to their visit order and random digital table, 26 cases in each group. Patients in the control group received routine nursing guide. Besides the same routine nursing guide, patients in the observation group received moxibustion at the abdominal acupoints, once every day. The course of the treatment was 4 weeks in the two groups, and the 3-month follow-up was given after the course was finished, for comparing the clinical symptoms, results of colon transit tests, scores of depression/anxiety scale and nursing satisfaction. Results: The total effective rate was 92.3% in the observation group and 69.2% in the control group, with a significant difference between the two groups. After the treatment and during the follow-up checks, the scores of Chinese medical symptoms in the two groups were remarkably decreased than those before the treatment (all P<0.01); the scores of the observation group were obviously lower than those in the control group (all P<0.01). The discharge rates of the markers in the two groups were remarkably increased than those at the same time period before the treatment; moreover, the discharge rates of the markers at various time periods were remarkably better in the observation group than those in the control group (P<0.01). SDS and SAS scores were remarkably decreased after the treatment in the two groups (P<0.01). In comparison of SDS score between the two groups after the treatment, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). In comparison of SAS score between the two groups after the treatment, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The nursing satisfaction was 96.2% in the observation group after the treatment, obviously better than that in the control group (73.1%). The recurrence rate was 8.3% in the observation group, remarkably lower than that in the control group (33.3%). Conclusion: Moxibustion at the abdominal acupoints plus routine nursing can remarkably improve the colon transit functions and anxious and depressive emotion in patients with STC, and the therapeutic effects are remarkable. Not only the clinical satisfaction is higher, but the recurrence rate is obviously lower than that of routine nursing.

Anoikis is a form of apoptosis induced upon cell detachment from extracellular matrix.It has been determined that acquisition of resistance to anoikis is a critical step for tumor cell metastasis.MiR-21,the most prominent oncomiR,plays an important role in tumor progression.In this study,we revealed that up-regulation of miR-21 in human esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) is associated with lymph node metastasis and poor survival rate.Because of the established anti-apoptosis effect of miR-21,it is tempting to speculate that miR-21 might contribute to tumor metastasis by regulating anoikis,qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that miR-21 expression in OE33/AR cells (subpopulation of human EA OE33 cells that acquired resistance to anoikis) was significantly increased.Also,transfection of miR-21 mimics provided OE33 cells resisting to anoikis.By luciferase assays,we verified that PDCD4 and PTEN were the functional targets of miR-21.In mouse model,via tail vein injection experiment,we showed that the metastasis formation of OE33 cells in vivo could be mediated by changing the miR-21 expression pattern.Taken together,our findings suggested that miR-21 was involved in the regulation of anoikis in human EA cells.Targeting miR-21 may provide a novel strategy to prevent metastasis.

Objective To study changes of aspartate(ASP) and glutamaic acid(GLU) in cerebral cortex of neonatal Sprague-Dawely(SD) rats after hypoxia-ischemia and nitric oxide synthase(NOS) immunoactive expression in cerebral neurons were examined to explore mailuoning′s protective effect on hypoxia-ischemia brain damage(HIBD).Methods The HIBD model was established as follows.The right common carotids of the neonatal SD rats 7 days were temporaily ligatured for 1 hour.Then the neonatal SD rats were exposed to 8% oxygen and 92% nitrogen gas mixture for 2 hours. The ASP and GLU were determined in right cerebral cortex using chromatograph,compared with sham-operated group and mailuoning administrated. Ultrastructure changes of neurons in the right cerebral cortex of neonatal SD rats were observed after sham-operated,hypoxia-ischemia and mailuoning administrated using electronmicroscope.Results The level of excitatory amino acid was promoted in right cerebral cortex after hypoxia-ischemia.The volume of excitatory amino acid was reduced sharply mailuoning administrated. Ultrastructure of neurons in the cerebral cortex showed serious injure after hypoxia-ischemia and ultrastructure of neurons in the cerebral cortex appeared slight damage.Conclusion Mailuoning may possess protective effects to the neurons after hypoxia-ischemia through supplying blood to neurons reducing release of excitatory amino acid.

Objective To investigate the dynamics of the level of S100 in cerebrum, brainstem, and serum following the diffuse brain injury in rats and provide the experimental evidences for estimating injury time. Methods ELISA was used to determine whether S100 protein is changed after diffuse brain injury in rats. Forty rats were sacrificed at 0.5 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 3 d and 7 d after diffuse brain injury and normal rats as control. Results The level of S100 in cerebrum, brainstem, and serum increased, followed by a decrease, and then further increased. The level of S100 could be detected to increase at 30 minutes and reached the peak at 4 hours after DBI. The level decreased gradually to the normal at 1d and till 3 d formed the second peak. The level returned to the normal at 7d following injury again. In the postmortem injury groups, there were no significant changes compared to the control group. Conclusion The present study showed that the time-dependent expression of S100 is obvious following diffuse brain injury in rats and suggested that S100 will be a suitable marker for diffuse brain injury age determination.

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of DZWJY-1 type electronic moxibustion apparatus and traditional moxibustion in treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods: A total of 76 eligible patients were randomized into an electronic moxibustion apparatus group and a traditional moxibustion group, with 38 cases in each group. The electronic moxibustion apparatus group was intervened by DZWJY-1 type electronic moxibustion apparatus, and the traditional moxibustion group received moxa stick moxibustion for treatment. Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Dubi (ST 35), Xuehai (SP 10) and Liangqiu (ST 34) were selected for both groups and the treatment was conducted 3 times a week for a total of 12 times. The visual analog scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) scores were observed before treatment and after 6 and 12 sessions of treatment, respectively. Results: There were 4 dropout cases in the traditional moxibustion group. Therefore, this trial had 72 valid cases, including 38 cases in the electronic moxibustion apparatus group and 34 cases in the traditional moxibustion group, the differences in the baseline data between the two groups were statistically insignificant (P>0.05). After 6 and 12 sessions of treatment, the VAS scores decreased significantly with the increase of treatment sessions in both groups (all P<0.01), and the betweengroup differences were statistically insignificant at the same time points (both P>0.05). The pain intensity was evaluated using the weighted value of VAS score. The markedly effective rate was 47.4％ and the total effective rate was 89.5％ in the electronic moxibustion apparatus group, versus 50.0％ and 94.1％ in the traditional moxibustion group, and the betweengroup differences were statistically insignificant (both P>0.05). After 6 and 12 sessions of treatment, the total score and the component scores including pain, stiffness and difficulty moving in the WOMAC decreased significantly with the increase of treatment sessions in both groups (all P<0.01), and the between-group differences were statistically insignificant (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Electronic moxibustion apparatus and traditional moxibustion both are effective in reducing joint pain and improving joint function in KOA patients, and they are equivalent comparing the clinical efficacy.

OBJECTIVETo observe the efficacy of oral Propranolol in the treatment of infantile subglottic hemangioma.

METHODSEleven children (6 females and 5 males) with a median age at onset of treatment being 4 months were included in this study. Propranolol was given after laryngoscopy and a CT scan with contrast of the trachea confirming the presence of a subglottic hemangioma. The starting dose of Propranolol was 0.5 mg/kg per day, given in 2 or 3 divided doses. Heart rate and blood glucose were monitored during the treatment. If no side effects occurred, the dose was increased to 1 mg/kg per day at the third day and to 2 mg/kg per day at the sixth day. Treatment was continued at home after 10 days of inpatient treatment and the children were reevaluated monthly.

RESULTSAfter 24 - 48 hours of treatment, all of the children had improvement in their airway obstruction which was confirmed by fibro-laryngoscopy. The diameter of the subglottic stenosis from the hemangioma decreased from 3.9 - 5.0 mm to 1.5 - 2.0 mm,and the color was also lighter than before. In 3 children with cutaneous hemangioma, there was also significant improvement in the cutaneous lesions after treatment, with the color becoming lighter. There were no significant ECG, blood pressure or blood biochemical changes during the treatment. Two of the children had hypoglycemia at the first dose, but improved after blood transfusion and changing their diet. In five children, the treatment was stopped after 6 to 11 months when the obstructive symptoms improved. None of the children in this group had any evidence of recurrence. In the 5 children who stopped treatment, the obstructing mass in the subglottis was less than 10% of the diameter.

CONCLUSIONOral propranolol is a safe and effective treatment for infantile subglottic hemangioma. It may be used as a first-line therapeutic modality.

Female ; Glottis ; Hemangioma ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Infant ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Male ; Propranolol ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of prenatal stress on neurological functions after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in adult offspring rats.

METHODSPregnant rats were randomly assigned to prenatal stress treatment, which was exposed to restraint three times daily in the last week of pregnancy, and no prenatal stress treatment. Adult male offspring rats were subjected to transient focal cerebral ischemia by MCAO. They were randomly divided into four groups: sham group, prenatal stress + sham group, MCAO group and prenatal stress + MCAO group (n = 10). After 24 hours of reperfusion, the neurological deficits were evaluated. The infarct size, cell apoptosis and expression of Caspase 3, cleaved Caspase 3 and Bcl-2 were detected.

RESULTSCompared with MCAO group, the neurological deficits, infarct size and apoptotic cells in prenatal stress + MCAO group were increased significantly (all P < 0.05). The expressions of Caspase 3 and cleaved Caspase 3 were much greater in prenatal stress + MCAO group than those of MCAO group, while the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased in prenatal stress + MCAO group compared with MCAO group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPrenatal stress might exacerbate neuroloeical deficits in the offspring rats after MCAO by increasing cell apoptosis.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Female ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; physiopathology ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; physiopathology ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; physiopathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stress, Physiological

Objective To determine the agreement of interobserver and intraobserver in diagnosing early glaucoma by optic disc morphology,and to explore the efficacy of established methods for evaluating glaucomatous optic discs.Design Prospective study. Participants Clinicians and evaluating methods for glaucomatous optic discs.Methods 120 digital fundus photographs were enrolled including early glaucoma eyes(67 cases)and non-glaucoma eyes but with glaucomatous appearance(53 cases),which were collected in Tongren Hospital.Thirteen ophthalmologists as observers were divided into three groups:GroupⅠ(5 clinicians)were trained with stan- dardized methods for evaluating glaucomatous optic disc damage recently.GroupⅡ(4 clinicians)were ophthalmologists majoring in glaucoma.GroupⅢwere ophthalmologists not specializing in glaucoma.In general groupⅡandⅢ,none had been trained with the es- tablished criteria.Observers evaluated the photos 3 times,with an interval time of 3 days.Kappa statistics were used to evaluate agree- ment between the intraobserver and interobserver.Main Outcome Measures Interobserver and intraobserver agreement,kappa value. Results In GroupⅠ,4 clinicians were in almost perfect agreement,1 clinician was in substantial agreement,kappa value ranging from 0.779(90.0%)to 0.966(98.3%).In GroupⅡ,almost perfect agreement occurred in 2 clinicians,substantial in 1 clinician and moderate in 1 clinician,kappa value ranging from 0.506(82.5%)to 0.866(93.3%).In GroupⅢ,the agreements in 4 clinicians were substantial, moderate,fair,and slight,respectively,kappa value ranging from 0.094(54.2%)to 0.778(89.2%).In term of interobserver agreement for glaucoma diagnosis,kappa values in GroupⅠranged from 0.768 to 0.983,in GroupⅡ0.354-0.834,in GroupⅢ0.335-0.737,respec- tively.Conclusions Intraobserver and interobserver agreement rates in early glaucoma diagnosis are substantially improved through training on optic disc morphologic evaluation methods.Establishing the diagnosis criteria for glaucomatous optic disc damage can raise the correct rate of diagnosis.