Animals ; Cardiac Electrophysiology ; Heart Atria ; innervation ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Vagus Nerve ; physiology

To evaluate the significance of plasma ACTH (pACTH), serum cortisol (SC) and urinary free cortisol UFC as well as low or high dose dexamethasone suppression test in Cushing syndrome, the levels of hormones were evaluated in 136 cases of Cushing syndrome. It was found that the levels of SC and UFC were elevated in almost all the 121 patients with Cushing syndrome. The mean levels of pACTH were higher in 86 patients with Cushing disease and lower in 36 cases with adrenocortical tumor or ACTH independent nodular adrenocortical hyperplasia (AINAH) than those in normal subjects. The ACTH levels might be in normal range in many patients with Cushing syndrome, but they were higher in patients with Cushing disease and lower in the patients with adrenocortical tumor or AINAH than those of the high limit at ACTH0am in normal subjects. It was a common feature that the diurnal rhythm of hormone secretion disappeared and the hormone levels were not suppressed by low dose dexamethasone suppression test in the patients with Cushing syndrome. In more than 90% of the patients with adrenocortical tumor or AINAH the levels of SC and UFC were not suppressed by high dose dexamethasone. In 12 of clinically cured patients with Cushing disease the levels of pACTH8am, SC8am and UFC were normal or even low. The pACTH levels were low in two patients with iatrogenic Cushing syndrome. The results suggested that examinations of SC, UFC and low dose dexamethasone suppression test were very important in the diagnosis of Cushing syndrome. The pACTH level was a key parameter to distinguish Cushing disease from adrenocortical tumor or AINAH.

? AlM: To examine choroidal thickness and its relationship with axial length and spherical equivalent by spectral domain optical coherence tomography ( SD -OCT ) in patients with myopic choroidal neovascularization ( mCNV) .
?METHODS: We prospectively recruited 30 cases of mCNV in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from October 2010 to December 2014. SD-OCT was used to measure choroidal thickness subfoveally and at 1. 5mm superiorly, inferiorly, nasally and temporally ( SFCT, SCT1. 5mm , lCT1. 5mm , NCT1. 5mm , TCT1. 5mm ) . Paired t- test was conducted to assess the difference of spherical equivalent, axial length and choroidal thickness between mCNV group and controls. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the correlation between spherical equivalent, axial length, choroidal thickness and mCNV.
?RESULTS: The difference of spherical equivalent and axial length between mCNV group and controls was not significant (P>0. 05). lnferior was decreased in mCNV group compared with controls (140. 85±33. 46μm vs 168. 95±45. 36μm). The difference was significant (P=0. 008). Logistic regression demonstrated that decreased choroidal thickness ( lCT1. 5mm ) at inferior location was associated with mCNV (OR=2. 12;95%CI 1. 35~3. 28;P=0. 02).
?CONCLUSlON: The decrease of lCT1. 5MM may be one of the risk factors of mCNV.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of silodosin in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).Methods Randomized controlled trials (RCT) on the efficacy and safety of silodosin for the treatment of BPH were retrieved from Medline (1966-2012),Embase (1988-2012),Cochrane liberary,CMCC (1979-2012),CNK1 (1979-2012) and the quality of the included RCTs were evaluated using Cochrane systematic evaluation to analyze the data statistically using Rev Man 5.1.0 software.Results Six RCTs involving 2543 participants were included for the meta-analysis.Results of analysis showed that silodosin was effective in the treatment of BPH in term of total international prostate symptom score (IPSS) (standard mean difference (SMD) =2.92,95 ％ CI =2.19-3.65,P ＜ 0.05),voiding symptom score (SMD =1.92,95％ CI =1.44-2.39,P ＜0.05),storage symptom score (SMD =0.92,95％ CI=0.60-1.24,P ＜0.05),and maximum flow rate (Qmax) score (SMD =1.56,95％ CI=1.38-1.75,P ＜ 0.05),compared with the placebo.Silodosin 8 mg was more effective than tamsulosin 0.2 mg in term of IPSS-related parameters and Qmax (P ＜ 0.05).Silodosin 8mg and tamsulosin 0.4 mg were similarly effective in all the efficacy analyses.Abnormal ejaculation was less common with tamsulosin 0.2 mg and 0.4mg (P＜0.05); overall adverse events were similar with tamsulosin 0.2 and 0.4 mg (P ＜0.05).Conclusions Silodosin was significantly more effective than placebo and tamsulosin 0.2 mg in improving symptoms and as effective as tamsulosin 0.4 mg.For adverse events,abnormal ejaculation was more common with silodosin.

Objective:To investigate the effect of recombinant Elafin on A549 apoptosis induced by paraquat and the underlying mechanism.Methods:pEGFP-C1-Elafin was transformed into A549 competent cells by electroporation.Transformed A549 was cultured for additional 24 h before Elafin mRNA was detected by RT-PCR and cocultured with or without various concentration of paraquat( PQ ) for different duration.A549 apoptosis percentage and reactive oxygen species ( ROS ) content were tested by flow cytometry .Nuclear factor erythroid like-2(Nrf2) heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) were examed by Western blot .Results:Elafin expressed successfully in A549 after transformation.PQ caused A549 apoptosis in a concentration dependent manner and leaded to ROS content increasing and Nrf2 and HO-1 decreasing.However,elafin could inhibit ROS production and A549 apoptosis,upregulate Nrf2 and HO-1.Conclusion:Elafin could restrict A549 apoptosis to some extent and the possible mechanism lied in its ability to upregulate Nrf2 ex-pression.

APOBEC3 is a class of cytidine deaminase, which is considered as a new member of the innate immune system, and APOBEC3G belongs to this family. The research about APOBEC3G is a new direction of innate immune defense mechanism against virus. APOBEC3G has the restrictive activity on many viral replications, which deaminates dC to dU in the viral genome and then induces extensive hypermutation. APOBEC3G can also interrupt viral replication at several phases such as reverse transcription, replication, nucleocapsid and so on by non-deamination mechanisms. However, virus can encode viral proteins to counteract the restriction activity of APOBEC3G. Elucidation of the antagonistic interaction between APOBEC3G and the virus will be contributed to development of new antiviral drugs in the future.
APOBEC-3G Deaminase ; Animals ; Cytidine Deaminase ; genetics ; metabolism ; DNA Replication ; Deamination ; HIV-1 ; physiology ; Hepacivirus ; genetics ; physiology ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; physiology ; Humans ; Paramyxoviridae ; genetics ; physiology ; Retroviridae ; physiology ; Virus Replication ; vif Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus ; metabolism

ObjectiveTo explore the clinical effects of forearm cutaneous neurovascular flaps to be used on repairing remote wound.Methods17 cases of soft tissue defect of head and facial region and upper extremity were repaired with forearm cutaneous neurovascular flaps.Results The flaps of 16 cases were entirely survived, partial necrosis appeared in 1 case and healed after changing dressing.Following up for 3 to 6 months, the quality and shape of all the flaps and function recovery of all patients were satisfied.ConclusionsWith adequate blood supply, the survival rate of forearm cutaneous neurovascular flaps is high and the procedure to repair remote wound is easy, and it is one of best ways to repair the soft tissue defect in head and facial region and upper extremity with forearm cutaneous neurovascular flaps.

Objective To investigate the effects of lactoferrin on activity of PKG in spinal dorsal horn in a rat model of neuropathic pain(NP).Methods Thirty-two male SD rats weighing 200-250 g were randomly divided into4 groups(n = 8 each): sham operation group(group S),NP group,lactoferrin group and KT5823(an inhibitor of PKG)group.Neuropathic pain was produced by placing loosely constrictive ligatures around the common sciatic nerve in group NP,lactoferrin and KT5823,while the sciatic nerve was only exposed but not ligated in groupS.In group S and NP,normal saline 10 μl + 50% dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)10 μl were injected intrathecally.Lactoferrin 100 μg + 50% DMSO 10 μl were given intrathecally in group lactoferrin.Lactoferrin 100 μg + KT5823 10 μl were given intrathecally in group KT5823.The paw withdrawal latency(PWL)to a thermal nociceptive stimulus was measured every 30 min within 180 min after administration.The rats were then sacrificed and the spinal cord was removed.The activity of PKG in the spinal dorsal horn was determined by immunofluorescence.Results Compared with group NP and KT5823,the PWL was significantly prolonged after administration in group lactoferrin and the PKG activity was significantly increased in group lactoferrin(P ＜ 0.05).There was no significant difference in the parameters mentioned above between group NP and group KT5823(P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion Lactoferrin reduces NP by inhibiting the activity of PKG in spinal dorsal horn in rats.

The endoscopic findings of 884 cases of colonic polyps with different pathological types were retrospectively analyzed.Among all cases,there were 418 cases of tubular adenoma (47.3％ ),92 cases of fluff tubular adenoma ( 10.4％ ),334 cases of inflammatory polyps ( 37.8％ ) and 40 cases of hyperplastic polyps (4.5％ ).There were significant differences in age,location,polyp surface morphology and Yamada grouping among colonic polyps with different pathological types (P ＜0.05).The average age of fluff tubular adenoma group [ (64 ± 12)y] was the highest among all patients; and the average diameter of polyps was the largest [ ( 1.38 ± 1.09 ) cm ],lobulated and mulbenry,polyps were the most common forms; and the majority of fluff tubular adenoma was Yamada type Ⅲ or Ⅳ.The results indicate that fluff tubular adenoma was associated with higher age,larger polyp size,surface morphology and Yamada grouping (P ＜0.05).

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of volume embolization ratio(VER) in evaluating the embolization efficacy of aneurysms.MethodsFifty-three patients who received intracranial aneurysm embolization surgery were all treated with detachable coils endovascular embolization,While fifty-seven intracranial aneurysms were treated.The VER was calculated and the relationships between the VER values and the size,the neck,embolization degree of intracranial aneurysm were analyzed.ResultsThe VER of small,medium,large,and giant aneurysms were (40.8 ± 26.5 )％,( 18.6 ± 16.1 )％,(2.3 ± 2.1 )％,(0.4 ±0.1 )％,respectively,which had statistical significance (F =7.091,P ＜ 0.01 ).The VER of wide-necked and narrow-necked aneurysms were (27.5 ± 23.1 )％,(29.4 ± 26.6)％,which had no statistical significance(P ＞0.05 ).The VER of complete embolization,neck residual and partial embolization were (41.8 ± 29.3 )％,(31.4 ± 21.2)％,( 12.3 ± 15.1 )％,respectively,which had statistical differences (F =7.970,P ＜ 0.01 ).ConclusionsThe VER is an objective index to evaluate the embolization degree of aneurysms.It has certain prediction significance for the efficacy judgement of embolization of aneurysms.