Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of valsartan and methylprednisolone com-bined with cyclophosphamide for treatment of IgA nephropathy with prevailing proteinuria.Methods 118 case of IgA nephropathy patients with prevailing proteinuria were divided into the research group(60 cases)and control group (58 cases)according to random number table.Patients in the control group were given valsartan capsules(80mg/d) and methylprednisolone tablets(1mg·kg -1 ·d -1 ),patients in the research group were given cyclophosphamide tab-lets on the basis of control group(0.5 ~1.0g/m2 ,1 time /month,a total of 10 times).All the patients were treated for 12 months.The clinical efficacy,24h urine protein quantitative and plasma -albumin(ALB)were observed before and after treatment.Results After treatment,the clinical efficacy of research group and control group were 79.33% and 43.10%,the data of research group was significantly higher than that of the control group(χ2 =19.401,P <0.01), the 24h urine protein quantitative of the research group was significantly decreased from (2.0 ±1.3)g/24h before treatment to (0.9 ±0.2)g/24h in the 12 month after treatment(t =7.184,P <0.01),the ALB of the research group was significantly increased from (32.2 ±4.2)g/L before treatment to (39.5 ±4.8)g/L in the 12 month after treat-ment(t =5.335,P <0.01),the 24h urine protein quantitative of the research group afer 4,6,8,10,12 month were significantly lower than those in the control group(t =3.461,3.854,4.021,3.976,3.365,all P <0.05),the ALB of research group afer 8,10,12 month were significantly higher than those in control group(t =3.850,5.020,5.560,all P <0.05).Conclusion Valsartan combined methylprednisolone can more effectively reduce urinary protein and pro-tect renal function for the treatment of IgA nephropathy.

Objective To analyze the prevalence rate and risk factors for aspiration pneumonia in elderly inpatients,and to identify a high-risk population for aspiration pneumonia.Methods Totally 398 inpatients aged ≥ 60 years in Beijing Hospital from April 2014 to April 2015 were selected.A questionnaire survey was performed for aspiration risk factors,including gender,age,smoking and drinking history,swallowing function,basal diseases,medication history,activities of daily living(ADL),occurrence of aspiration pneumonia over the past year.The patients were divided into aspiration pneumonia group and non-aspiration pneumonia group,and the prevalence rate and risk factors for aspiration pneumonia were studied.Results 364 cases with complete data were collected,and 14.3％ (52/364)were identified definitively as aspiration pneumonia over the past year.The ADL score was (77.0± 33.9) scales in aspiration pneumonia group,and (88.0 ± 22.2) scales in non-aspiration pneumonia group,with statistically significant difference (P＜ 0.05).The incidence rate of aspiration pneumonia was increased along with the increase of the age of patients.Risk factors for aspiration pneumonia were different in different age group.The proportion of patients aged 60-69,70-79 and over 80 years were 23.1％ (12 cases),36.5％ (19 cases),40.4％ (23 cases)in the aspiration pneumonia group,respectively.Under the condition of a propensity score-matched case-control pair design on 104 subjects with versus without aspiration pneumonia,the logistic regression analysis showed that smoking history,coronary heart disease,Parkinson's disease,dementia,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),gastro-esophageal reflux disease(GERD),long-term uses of theophylline,calcium antagonists,nitrates,diazepam,antidepressants,anti-Parkinson drugs were the risk factors for aspiration pneumonia in elderly(all P＜0.05).Conclusions Smoking history,basal diseases and medication history are associated with the incidence rate of aspiration pneumonia in elderly.Assessment of these risk factors for aspiration pneumonia should be emphasized,and preventive measures should be considered conscientiously to lower the incidence rate of aspiration pneumonia in elderly.

Objective To investigate right ventricular(RV) dyssynchrony in patients with pulmonary hypertension(PH)by strain imaging.Methods Sixty PH patients were divided into three groups according to the pulmonary artery systolic pressure(PASP),20 healthy volunteers served as control group.RV structures parameters included RV end-diastolic area(RVEDA),end-systolic area(RVESA),the ratio of RV diameter and LV diameter(RVTD/LVTD).RV function parameters included RV fractional area change (RVFAC)and Tei index.RV strain parameters included the maxmal differences of the peak systolic strain(Max-ΔPST)and the maxmal differences of the time to peak systolic strain(Max-ΔT_(Q-S))of each segment.Results Compared with control group, Max-ΔT_(Q-S) and Max-ΔPST of PH groups were significantly larger (P<0.01).Max-ΔT_(Q-S) had strong correlations with PASP and RV structure and function parameters(P<0.01).Max-ΔPST had good correlations with PASP and Tei-index(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusions PH patients exhibit right ventricular dyssynchrony which correlates with right ventricular function and structure parameters.Right ventricular dyssynchrony parameters could evaluate right ventricular function in PH patients early by strain imaging.

Objective To study the distinct clinical phenotype of chronic airway diseases by hierarchical cluster analysis and two-step cluster analysis.Methods A population sample of adult patients in Donghuamen community,Dongcheng district and Qinghe community,Haidian district,Beijing from April 2012 to January 2015,who had wheeze within the last 12 months,underwent detailed investigation,including a clinical questionnaire,pulmonary function tests,total serum IgE levels,blood eosinophil level and a peak flow diary.Nine variables were chosen as evaluating parameters,including pre-salbutamol forced expired volume in one second(FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio,pre-salbutamol FEV1,percentage of post-salbutamol change in FEV1,residual capacity,diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide/alveolar volume adjusted for haemoglobin level,peak expiratory flow (PEF) variability,serum IgE level,cumulative tobacco cigarette consumption (pack-years) and respiratory symptoms (cough and expectoration).Subjects' different clinical phenotype by hierarchical cluster analysis and two-step cluster analysis was identified.Results (1) Four clusters were identified by hierarchical cluster analysis.Cluster 1 was chronic bronchitis in smokers with normal pulmonary function.Cluster 2 was chronic bronchitis or mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with mild airflow limitation.Cluster 3 included COPD patients with heavy smoking,poor quality of life and severe airflow limitation.Cluster 4 recognized atopic patients with mild airflow limitation,elevated serum IgE and clinical features of asthma.Significant differences were revealed regarding pre-salbutamol FEV1/FVC％,pre-salbutamol FEV1％ pred,postsalbutamol change in FEV1 ％,maximal mid-expiratory flow curve (MMEF)％ pred,carbon monoxide diffusing capacity per liter of alveolar(DLCO)/(VA)％ pred,residual volume(RV)％ pred,total serum IgE level,smoking history (pack-years),St.George' s respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ) score,acute exacerbation in the past one year,PEF variability and allergic dermatitis (P ＜ 0.05).(2) Four clusters were also identified by two-step cluster analysis as followings,cluster 1,COPD patients with moderate to severe airflow limitation;cluster 2,asthma and COPD patients with heavy smoking,airflow limitation and increased airways reversibility;cluster 3,patients having less smoking and normal pulmonary function with wheezing but no chronic cough;cluster 4,chronic bronchitis patients with normal pulmonary function and chronic cough.Significant differences were revealed regarding gender distribution,respiratory symptoms,pre-salbutamol FEV1/FVC％,pre-salbutamol FEV1 ％ pred,post-salbutamol change in FEV1 ％,MMEF％ pred,DLCO/VA％ pred,RV％ pred,PEF variability,total serum IgE level,cumulative tobacco cigarette consumption (pack-years),and SGRQ score (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion By different cluster analyses,distinct clinical phenotypes of chronic airway diseases are identified.Thus,individualized treatments may guide doctors to provide based on different phenotypes.

AIM: To elucidate the mechanism of arrhythmia in healed myocardial infarction (HMI), and to investigate the changes of action potential duration (APD),transient outward potassium current (I to ), delayed rectifier potassium current (I K) and inward rectifier potassium current (I K1 ) of left ventricular myocytes in noninfarcted zone of HMI. METHODS: 12 rabbits were randomly assigned in two groups: HMI group (thoracotomy and ligation of the circumflex coronary); sham-operated group (thoracotomy but no conorary ligation). 3 months after operation, whole cell patch clamp technique was used to record APD, I to , I K and I K1 of ventricular myocytes in non-infarcted zone. RESULTS: Membrane capacitance was larger in HMI group than that in sham-operated group. Action potential duration was lengthened significantly in HMI group and early after depolarization (EAD) appeared in HMI group. The densities of I to , I K,tail and I K1 were reduced significantly in HMI group (P

Objective To explore the clinical phenotype of airways disease in elderly patients using hierarchical cluster analysis.Methods A total of 67 elderly patients with respiratory symptoms were enrolled in a prospective study.Demographic and clinical data,such as respiratory symptoms,cumulative tobacco cigarette consumption,acute exacerbation,atopic symptoms and peak flow diary were collected.Pulmonary function tests,blood tests (total serum IgE level and blood eosinophil level) were performed in each patient during the stable stage.Then patients with different clinical phenotype were identified by hierarchical cluster analysis.Results Four clusters were identified with the following characteristics by hierarchical cluster analysis:cluster 1,atopic patients with no smoking,normal lung function,but increased total serum IgE levels and asthma symptom;cluster 2,patients with no smoking and normal pulmonary function with wheezing but without chronic cough;cluster 3,patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and smoking,severe airflow limitation and poor quality of life;cluster 4,patients with asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome and smoking,airflow limitation and increased total serum IgE levels.The forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) / forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio,FEV1/predicted value,rate of FEV1 change,maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF)/ predicted value,the diffusion lung capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO)/alveolar volume (VA)/predicted value,residual volume (RV)/ predicted value,total serum Ig E levels,cumulative tobacco cigarette consumption,the St.George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score had significant differences in patients before versus after treatment (all P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Conclusions Based on hierarchical cluster analysis,distinct clinical phenotypes of airways disease in elderly patients can be identified.Conclusions With patients having asthma or COPD alone,patients with Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) always experience a more rapid decline in lung function and frequent exacerbations,having poor health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) outcomes,which deserve our high attention.

To elucidate the mechanism of arrhythmia in healed myocardial infarction (HMI), the changes of action potential duration (APD), transient outward potassium current (Ito), delayed rectifier potassium current (IK) and inward rectifier potassium current (IK1) of left ventricular myocytes in non-infarcted zone of HMI were investigated. Rabbits were randomly assigned into two groups: HMI group, in which animals were subjected to thoracotomy and ligation of the circumflex coronary and sham-operated group, in which rabbits underwent thoracotomy but no conorary ligation. 3 months after the operation, the whole myocyte patch clamp technique was used to record APD, Ito, IK, and IK1 of ventricular myocytes in non-infarcted zone. Our results showed that the membrane capacitance was larger in HMI group than in sham-operated group. Action potential duration was significantly lengthened in HMI group and early afterdepolarization (EAD) appeared in HMI group. The densities of Ito, I(K, tail), and IK1 were reduced significantly in HMI group, from 6.72 +/- 0.42 pA/pF, 1.54 +/- 0.13 pA/pF and 25.6 +/- 2.6 pA/pF in sham-operated group to 4.03 +/- 0.33 pA/pF, 1.14 +/- 0.11 pA/pF and 17.6 +/- 2.3 pA/pF, respectively. It is concluded that the reduced densities of Ito, I(K, tail) and IK1 in ventricular myocytes of non-infarcted zone in HMI were responsible for the prolongation of APD and the presentation of EAD which played important roles in the development of malignant arrhythmia in HMI.
Action Potentials ; Arrhythmia/*etiology ; Heart Ventricles/metabolism ; Myocardial Infarction/complications ; Myocardial Infarction/metabolism ; Myocardial Infarction/*pathology ; Myocytes, Cardiac/*cytology ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Potassium Channels/*metabolism

The aim of this study was to determine if the potassium aspartate and magnesium (PAM) prevent reperfusion-induced ventricular arrhythmias (RIVA) in ischemia-reperfusion (IR) rabbit heart. Thirty rabbits were randomly divided into control, ischemia and PAM groups. Arterially-perfused rabbit left ventricular preparations were made, and transmural ECG as well as action potentials from both endocardium and epicardium were simultaneously recorded in the whole process of all experiments. In control group rabbit ventricular wedge preparations were continuously perfused with Tyrode's solution, and in ischemia group and PAM groups the perfusion of Tyrode's solution was stopped for 30 min. Then the ischemia group was reperfused with Tyrode's solution and the PAM group with Tyrode's solution containing 2.42 mg/L PAM, respectively. ECG, QT interval, transmural repolarization dispersion (TDR) and action potentials from epicardium and endocardium were simultaneously recorded, and the RIVA of the wedge preparation was observed. Compared with control group, TDR and incidence of RIVA were significantly increased in ischemia group (P<0.05). The incidence of RIVA in control, ischemia and PAM group was 0/10, 9/10 and 1/10, respectively. Compared with ischemia group, TDR and incidence of RIVA were significantly reduced in PAM group (P<0.05). Potassium aspartate and magnesium significantly reduce TDR and prevent ventricular arrhythmia in ischemic rabbit heart.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac/etiology ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac/*prevention & control ; Myocardial Ischemia/*complications ; Myocardial Ischemia/physiopathology ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury/*complications ; Potassium Magnesium Aspartate/*therapeutic use ; Random Allocation

The protective effect of carvedilol on abnormality of L-type calcium current induced by oxygen free radical in single guinea pig ventricular myocytes was studied. Whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to study the effect of H2O2 (0.5 mmol/L) on L-type calcium current in single guinea pig ventricular myocytes and the action of pretreatment with carvedilol (0.5 micromol/L). 0.5 micromol/L carvedilol had no significant effect on ICa,L and its channel dynamics. In the presence of 0.5 mmol/L H2O2, peak current of ICa,L was reduced significantly (P<0.001), the I-V curve of ICa,L was shifted upward, steady-state activation curve and steady-state deactivation curve of ICa,L were shifted left and recovery time of ICa,L was delayed significantly (P<0.001). 0.5 micromol/L carvedilol significantly alleviated the inhibitory effect of H2O2 on ICa,L as compared with that in H2O2 group (P<0.01). In addition, carvedilol reversed the changes of dynamics of ICa,L induced by H2O2. It was concluded that carvedilol could alleviate the abnormality of L-type calcium current induced by oxygen free radical in cardiomyocytes. It shows partly the possible mechanism of the special availability of carvedilol in chronic heart failure.
Adrenergic beta-Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Calcium Channels, L-Type ; metabolism ; Carbazoles ; pharmacology ; Female ; Free Radicals ; adverse effects ; Guinea Pigs ; Heart Ventricles ; cytology ; Male ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; metabolism ; pathology ; Oxidative Stress ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Propanolamines ; pharmacology

To study the effect of of lidocaine and amiodarone on the transmural heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization in isolated rabbit hearts model of sustained global ischemia and to explore the mechanisms underlying the antiarrhythmic activity of lidocaine and amiodarone, rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, ischemia group, lidocaine group and amiodarone group. By the monophasic action potential (MAP) recording technique, MAPs of recorded across the left ventricular free wall in rabbit hearts perfused transmural dispersion of repolarization (TDR) and arrhythmic induced by ischemia. Our results showed that TDR of three myocardial layers in ischemia group were significantly lengthened after ischemia. TDR was increased from 17.5±3.9 ms to 31.2±4.6 ms at the time that concided with the onset of sustained ventricle arrhythmic. Amiodarone could decrease TDR, but lidocaine could increase TDR at initial ischemia, and no significant difference was found at other ischemia time points. 5 cases had ventriclar arrhythmia in ischemia group (62.5 %), but no case in lidocaine group (P<0.01) and only 1 case in amiodarone group had ventrilar arrhythmia (P< 0.01). No significant difference was found between amiodarone group and lidocaine group. It is concluded that TDR of of three myocardial layers increases significantly at ischemia and it is closely associated with development of ventricular arrhythmia, and amiodarone could decrease TDR, but lidocaine could increase TDR at initial ischemia and has no effects at other ischemia time points.