135 ms in selecting patients for cardiac resynchronization therapy(CRT).Methods Forty-five patients with SHF were randomly divided into two groups according to QRS width: Group 1(QRS width 135 ms could finely predict the presence of interventricular dyssynchrony,with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 87.5%;while the same cutoff value to predict intraventricular dyssynchrony only yielded a sensitivity of 44.1% and specificity of 73.6%.Conclusion Intraventricular dyssynchrony and(or) interventricular dyssynchrony has a high prevalence in patients with SHF.A QRS duration cutoff value higher 135 ms can well evaluate the cardiac mechanical dyssynchrony in clinical practice,which may be of value for optimizing selection of CRT candidates and reducing the nonresponders.

Objective To investigate the effects of subchronic arsenic exposure on caspase-3 expression in Leydig cells and serum testosterone level in rats. Methods Forty SD rats were divided into four groups based on body mass (160-220 g) by random number table, 10 in each group and treated with As2O3 through drinking water at the doses of 0.0 (distilled water), 2.0, 12.0 and 60.0 mg/L for 14 weeks. Blood sample from heart was collected, serum testosterone was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); the testicular tissue of rats was taken, the expression of caspase-3 was assayed by immunohistochemical staining, and its average gray value was analyzed with image analysis software (Biomias). Results There were statistically significant differences of the serum testosterone levels between groups (F= 37.99, all P< 0.05). Compared with the control group [(3.082 3 ± 0.653 0) ng/L], serum testosterone levels in middle-dose and high-dose groups [(1.694 6 ± 0.255 4), (1.350 5 ± 0.281 9)ng/L] were significantly lower (all P< 0.05). The numbers of positive cells of caspase-3 were 8.10 ± 1.91, 9.80 ± 2.15,10.00 ± 1.83 and 10.90 ± 2.38 in each vision in the 4 groups, there were statistically significant differences between groups (F=3.17, all P<0.05), compared with the control group , the middle-dose and high-dose groups were significantly higher (all P<0.05);the average gray values of caspase-3 were 135.10 ± 6.89, 130.00 ± 3.30, 117.10 ± 4.28, and 113.10 ± 5.38, there were statistically significant differences between groups (F = 41.09, P < 0.05), compared with the control group, the middle-and high-dose groups were decreased (all P<0.05). Conclusions One possible mechanism of As2O3 on male germ cell toxicity may be through up-regulation of the expression of caspase-3 in Leydig cells of SD rats and initiating the pathway of the apoptosis signal, which can lead to increased apoptosis of Leydig cells, decreased concentrations of testosterone, and damaged reproductive function in rats.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Chinese herbs (CH) for cool-moistening and freeing collaterals on gastro-dynamic disturbance in patients of diabetes mellitus type 2 with gastroparesis (DM-GP).

METHODSFifty-three patients of DM-GP were enrolled and treated with CH (n = 28) and Cisapride (n = 25) respectively for 4 weeks, the changes of gastrin and electro-gastrogram (EGG) before and after treatment were observed.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the EGG improved significantly, showing the rhythm significantly improved, and level of serum gastrin lowered significantly, as compared with those before treatment, the difference was significant (P<0.01), but insignificant difference was found between the two groups. Fifteen patients in each group were followed-up afar stopping medication for 3 months, recurrence occurred in 1 patient of CH treated group, and 2 patients of Cisapride treated group. No adverse reaction was found in the rest patients.

CONCLUSIONCH could obviously improve the gastro-intestinal motility and hormones abnormality.

Adult ; Aged ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Electromyography ; Electrophysiology ; Female ; Gastric Emptying ; drug effects ; Gastrins ; blood ; Gastrointestinal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; drug effects ; Gastroparesis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the dynamic expression of the TGF-beta1 and FGF-2 in the nasal mucosa of rat models of allergic rhinitis, at different stages of the process during pathogenesis. METHOD: One hundred and eighty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups, the normal Group A used for contrast and experimental groups: Group B and C, each group were 60 rats. Then, observed the expression of the TGF-beta1 and FGF-2 in the nasal mucosa at different stages of the process by immunohistochemical staining. RESULT: The expression of the TGF-beta1 and FGF-2 in the nasal mucosa of the normal Group A was negative, while the Group B and Group C were varying degrees of positive both, and Group B, the level of the TGF-beta1 and FGF-2 were both decline after allergen avoidance, but still more not ability than the expression of the Group B (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The expression of the TGF-beta1 and FGF-2 in the nasal mucosa of rats models were varying degrees of positive , and it is decline while the allergen avoidance.
Animals ; Female ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; metabolism ; Male ; Nasal Mucosa ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; metabolism ; pathology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism

Tumor-associated macrophage promotes the progression of glioblastoma (GBM) by infiltrating into tumor tissue, yet its mechanism has not been fully elucidated.This paper aimed to investigate the mechanism of M2 macrophages in affecting the migratory capacity of GBM via secreting exosomes.Ultracentrifugation was used to extract exosomes; RNA sequencing was carried out to screen differentially expressed miRNAs; target prediction database was used to predict the possible target proteins of miRNA; Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the interaction between miRNA and target genes; and the proliferation ability of tumor cells was detected by subcutaneous xenograft model in nude mice.Results showed that tumor-related macrophages were mainly M2 macrophages, and that exosomes secreted by M2 macrophages could promote the migration of glioma cells.Meanwhile, exosomes secreted by M2 macrophages transported miR-1260b and affected the migration of glioma cells through directly targeted AJAP1, suggesting that exosomes secreted by macrophages could affect the migration ability of GBM through transporting miR-1260b.

Gap junction is a necessary channel structure composed of connexin proteins, which can form direct communication to exchange material and information between mammal cells. Connexin 43(Cx43)is the most abundant connexin protein expressed in the central nervous system. There is emerging evidence that Cx43 has a wide regulatory effect on the occurrence and development of glioma and play an important role in malignant biological behaviors of glioma. Temozolomide is a currently first-line chemotherapeutic drug for glioma. However, with the prolong of treatment period, the therapy effect of temozolomide is attenuated in some patients because of drug resistance. And the abnormal expression of Cx43 in glioma may be one of the important reasons for temozolomide resistance. In this review, we summarized the structure and function of Cx43, several mechanism of temozolomide resistance and the research progress of Cx43-mediated temozolomide resistance, as well as anti-tumor compounds targeting Cx43 in recent years, in order to provide new evidence for glioma therapy.