Background:Due to absence of visible endobronchial target,the diagnostic yield of flexible bronchoscopy for peribronchial lesions has been unsatisfactory.Convex probe endobronchial ultrasound (CP-EBUS) has allowed for performing real-time transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) of enlarged hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes and therefore could also be used as a means of diagnosing proximal peribronchial lesions.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the results related to 72 patients who underwent CP-EBUS for peribronchial lesions without endobronchial involvement and adjacent to three-grade bronchi based on chest computed tomography (CT) scan.We recorded the images during EBUS as well as the diagnostic results of TBNA and conventional-transbronchial lung biopsy/brush (C-TBLB/b),and final diagnoses were based on pathologic analysis and follow-up.Results:In all cases,the mass was able to be identified using EBUS in 97.2％ patients (70/72) who were performed with EBUS-TBNA + C-TBLB/b.Sixty-six patients had a final diagnosis,80.0％ patients (56/70) had malignancies,and 14.3％ patients (10/70) had benign disease.In malignancies,the diagnostic yield of C-TBLB/b was 57.1％ (32/56) and in EBUS-TBNA was 85.7％ (48/56),whereas pathologic diagnosis reached 94.6％ when EBUS-TBNA was combined with C-TBLB/b.C-TBLB/b + EBUS-TBNA also exhibited stronger potency ofhistolytic diagnosis for malignancies than either EBUS-TBNA or C-TBLB/b alone.Furthermore,there are data supporting the value of EBUS-TBNA for the diagnosis of benign lung disease.Conclusion:The combined endoscopic approach with EBUS-TBNA and C-TBLB/b is an accurate and effective method for the evaluation of peribronchial lesions,with better results than using each technique alone.

AIMTo study the antidiabetic effects of cortex Moutan polysaccharide-2b (CMP-2b) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats.

METHODSThe T2DM model rats were induced by a single intravenous injection of low dose streptozotocin (STZ) and intake of high sucrose-fat diet. CMP-2b was given to T2DM rats daily through gavage for 4-5 weeks. The body weight, water and food intake, fasting blood glucose (FBG), glucose tolerance, plasma lipids, serum insulin, and insulin receptor (Ins R) were determined.

RESULTSOral administration of CMP-2b significantly decreased water and food intake, FBG, total cholesterol (Tch), and triglyceride (TG), improved the impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and remarkably raised the number of low affinity InsR and insulin sensitivity index (ISI) in T2DM rats.

CONCLUSIONCMP-2b may be useful for treating T2DM and its complications.

Animals ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Glucose Intolerance ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Insulin ; blood ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polysaccharides ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptor, Insulin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between atrial fibrillation (AF) and serum soluble CD163.

METHODSA total of 336 patients with heart valve disease were included in this study, including 167 with AF and 169 with sinus rhythm. The clinical data were compared between the two grops, and Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors associated with AF.

RESULTSThe levels of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-6 (IL - 6), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and left atrial diameter (LAD) all differed significantly between the two groups (P<0.05). Serum soluble CD163 levels in AF patients were significantly higher than those in patients with sinus rhythm (P<0.05). Serum soluble CD163 was positively correlated with TNF (r=0.244, P=0.244), IL-6 (r=0.186, P=0.186), hs-CRP (r=0.183, P=0.183) and LAD (r=0.194, P=0.194) in patients with AF. Logistic regression analysis showed that LAD, IL-6, TNF, hs-CRP and CD163 were all associated with AF. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under curve of serum soluble CD163 was 0.861 in patients with AF (CI 95%: 0.820-0.901, P<0.01) with a sensitivity and a specificity of 80.8 and 76.9%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSerum soluble CD163 level may be a risk factor for AF, and an increased soluble CD163 level may indicate active inflammation in AF patients.

Antigens, CD ; blood ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; blood ; Atrial Fibrillation ; blood ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Heart Atria ; pathology ; Humans ; Inflammation ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Lipoproteins, HDL ; blood ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; blood ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; blood ; Risk Factors ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder causing dementia worldwide, and is mainly characterized by aggregated β-amyloid (Aβ). Increasing evidence has shown that plant extracts have the potential to delay AD development. The plant sterol β-Sitosterol has a potential role in inhibiting the production of platelet Aβ, suggesting that it may be useful for AD prevention. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of β-Sitosterol on deficits in learning and memory in amyloid protein precursor/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) double transgenic mice. APP/PS1 mice were treated with β-Sitosterol for four weeks, from the age of seven months. Brain Aβ metabolism was evaluated using ELISA and Western blotting. We found that β-Sitosterol treatment can improve spatial learning and recognition memory ability, and reduce plaque load in APP/PS1 mice. β-Sitosterol treatment helped reverse dendritic spine loss in APP/PS1 mice and reversed the decreased hippocampal neuron miniature excitatory postsynaptic current frequency. Our research helps to explain and support the neuroprotective effect of β-Sitosterol, which may offer a novel pharmaceutical agent for the treatment of AD. Taken together, these findings suggest that β-Sitosterol ameliorates memory and learning impairment in APP/PS1 mice and possibly decreases Aβ deposition.
Alzheimer Disease ; Amyloid ; Animals ; Blood Platelets ; Blotting, Western ; Brain ; Cognition Disorders ; Dementia ; Dendritic Spines ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials ; Learning ; Memory ; Metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neurons ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Plant Extracts ; Plants ; Plaque, Amyloid ; Spatial Learning

AIM To investigate the effect and mechanism of Qigui Yishen Decoction (QGYS,Astragali Radix,Angelicae sinensis Radix,Chuanxiong Rhizoma,Achyranthis bidentatae Radix) on regulating the expression of miR-141 in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mice with renal fibrosis.METHODS Thirty Balb/c male mice randomly divided into sham-operated group (n =6),UUO group (n =6),Lotensin (50 g/kg) group (n =6),QGYS high dose (50 g/kg) group (n =6),and QGYS low dose (10 g/kg) group (n =6) were conducted UUO surgery to promote kidney fibrosis except the six mice in the sham operation group.After a successive 10-day medication of QGYS and Lotensin to mice by oral gavage on daily basis,all mice were killed to procure renal tissue to observe its morphology and pathology changes by HE staining.The expressions of TGF-β1,ColⅣ,and MMP-9 were analyzed by immunohistochemical method,and the expressions of miR141,TGF-β1 were measured by real-time PCR.RESULTS The obviously pathological injuries including renal interstitial fibrosis were identified by HE staining among the groups intervened with UUO,but the variance in the extent due to different administrations of QGYS and Lotensin was noticed as well (P ＜ 0.05).As compared to the UUO group,high and low dose QGYS groups and Lotensin group achieved an up-regulated expression of TGF-β1 and ColⅣ,and a down-regulated expression of MMP-9 by immunohistochemistry (P ＜ 0.05),and significantly increased Mrna expression of miR-141,and decreased Mrna expression of TGF-β1 by real-time PCR (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION In UUO mouse models,QGYS gives influence to TGF-β1and MMP-9 through inducing miR-141 expression change to decrease abnormal accumulation of ECM,and thus inhibits the progression of renal fibrosis.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder causing dementia worldwide, and is mainly characterized by aggregated β-amyloid (Aβ). Increasing evidence has shown that plant extracts have the potential to delay AD development. The plant sterol β-Sitosterol has a potential role in inhibiting the production of platelet Aβ, suggesting that it may be useful for AD prevention. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of β-Sitosterol on deficits in learning and memory in amyloid protein precursor/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) double transgenic mice. APP/PS1 mice were treated with β-Sitosterol for four weeks, from the age of seven months. Brain Aβ metabolism was evaluated using ELISA and Western blotting. We found that β-Sitosterol treatment can improve spatial learning and recognition memory ability, and reduce plaque load in APP/PS1 mice. β-Sitosterol treatment helped reverse dendritic spine loss in APP/PS1 mice and reversed the decreased hippocampal neuron miniature excitatory postsynaptic current frequency. Our research helps to explain and support the neuroprotective effect of β-Sitosterol, which may offer a novel pharmaceutical agent for the treatment of AD. Taken together, these findings suggest that β-Sitosterol ameliorates memory and learning impairment in APP/PS1 mice and possibly decreases Aβ deposition.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder causing dementia worldwide, and is mainly characterized by aggregated β-amyloid (Aβ). Increasing evidence has shown that plant extracts have the potential to delay AD development. The plant sterol β-Sitosterol has a potential role in inhibiting the production of platelet Aβ, suggesting that it may be useful for AD prevention. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of β-Sitosterol on deficits in learning and memory in amyloid protein precursor/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) double transgenic mice. APP/PS1 mice were treated with β-Sitosterol for four weeks, from the age of seven months. Brain Aβ metabolism was evaluated using ELISA and Western blotting. We found that β-Sitosterol treatment can improve spatial learning and recognition memory ability, and reduce plaque load in APP/PS1 mice. β-Sitosterol treatment helped reverse dendritic spine loss in APP/PS1 mice and reversed the decreased hippocampal neuron miniature excitatory postsynaptic current frequency. Our research helps to explain and support the neuroprotective effect of β-Sitosterol, which may offer a novel pharmaceutical agent for the treatment of AD. Taken together, these findings suggest that β-Sitosterol ameliorates memory and learning impairment in APP/PS1 mice and possibly decreases Aβ deposition.

Objective To apply the method of Data envolop analysis(DEA) to evaluating the relative efficiency of cardiothoracic surgical ICU of 12 Grade Ⅲ-A hospital in Shanghai. Methods The input and output data of 12 cardiovascular surgical ICU were collected and analyzed by the way of questionnaires, work-hour measurement and data envelopment analysis(DEA). Results 5 of the 12 nursing units were inefficient. The inefficient nursing units could become relatively efficient by the improvement of all indexes. Conclusions The variation in nursing efficiency has been observed among 12 units. The optimization can be achieved through proper allocation of nursing resources. DEA should be applied to the analysis of nursing efficiency.

AIM:To investigate the protective effect of procyanidins on the PC 12 cells exposed to Aβ25-35and the mechanisms.METHODS:Aβ25-35at 25 μmol/L was used to treat the PC12 cells for 48 h, and the PC12 cells were pretreated with procyanidins at 25,50 and 100 mg/L for 24 h.The cell vitality was measured by MTT assay.The content of reactive oxygen species(ROS)was detected by DCFH-DA staining.The change of mitochondrial membrane potential was examined by JC-10 staining.The apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry with Annexin V /PI double staining.The protein levels of activated caspase-3 was determined by Western blot.RESULTS:Under the exposure of the PC12 cells to Aβ25-35,procyanidins increased the cell viability,reduced intracellular ROS level, prevented mitochondrial membrane po-tential decline,attenuated the caspase-3 activation and inhibited the apoptosis of PC 12 cells(P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION:Procyanidins have a significant protective effect on the PC 12 cells exposed to Aβ25-35.Its mechanism may be related to removing intracellular ROS induced by A β25-35, relieving the damage to the mitochondrial membrane, and thereby inhibiting cell apoptosis.

Objective To explore risk factors of congenital malformations (CMs) and to evaluate its impacts on adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted among pregnant women who received the first antenatal care from March 2013 to February 2016 in the reproductive center, obstetrics clinics, infertility clinics and ultrasound department of Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital. Corresponding information from pregnant women and their spouses were collected. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression were used to screen possible risk factors of CMs and evaluate the impacts of CMs on other APOs. Results The study showed that women had history of non-standard BMI, smoking, hepatitis, pregnancy-related complications, gestational diabetes mellitus, infertility and using assisted reproductive technology before pregnancy; had no folic acid taking, active and passive smoking, drinking, uneven diet, high intensity physical activity during pregnancy increased the risk of CMs in offspring. Furthermore, the history of spouse smoking and eating betel nut also increased the risk of CMs in offspring. CMs might increase the risk of preterm birth, very preterm birth, low birth weight, very low birth weight, and perinatal mortality. Conclusions There are many risk factors of CMs. Knowing these risk factors, and giving them optimal prevention strategies and effective intervention measures are important measures in preventing the occurrence of CMs and other APOs.