Objective To investigate insulin resistance and the effect of physical training on it in the pa- tients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods One hundred and twenty NYHAⅡ-ⅢCHF patients were ran- domly divided into a training group( n = 65 ) and a routine therapy group (n = 55 ). Another 35 healthy subjects were recruited as control group. All the patients were treated with routine anti-CHF drugs, and the training group patients had received physical training twice a day in addition. The HOMA-IR, insulin sensitivity index (ISI) , left ventricu- lar ejection fraction (LEVF), left ventricular fractional shortening( LVFS), 6-minute walking distance, heart rate and mean blood pressure were compared between the training and routine therapy groups before and after physical ex- ercise in both groups, and a comparison was made between the patients and the controls before the intervention with regard to HOMA-IR and ISI. Results Comparing with control group, ISI was reduced while the HOMA-IR in- creased (P

Objective To evaluate the association of thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI)and its encoding gene CPB2 polymorphism with myocardial infarction.Methods CPB2 gene (Thr325Ile)polymorphism were typed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP)in patients of myocardial infarction(n=100)and a control group(n=90).The antigen(Ag) and the activity(Act)of TAFI were determined by ELISA and chromogenic assay respectively.The relationship between Thr325Ile gene polymorphism and TAFI Ag and Act were also analyzed.Results In MI group TAFI Ag and Act[TAFI Act(51.4?9.3)?g/ml,TAFI Ag(145.6?33.5)%]were significently higher than those of control group[TAFI Act(25.7?5.6)?g/ml,TAFI Ag(76.5?24.8)%] (t=22.927 2,P

In recent years, layer-by-layer self-assembly (LbL) has developed rapidly. It has been widely used in various industries such as medicine and metallurgy because of its simplicity, flexibility and controllability. In the study of drug delivery system, hollow microcapsules constructed by LbL method as drug carrier have great advantages in drug release, circulation in vivo and bioavailability, providing a technical platform for targeted drug release. In this paper, we summarize the types of film-forming materials and the driving force used in LbL technology, the way of loading drug into hollow micro capsule, and the variety of loaded drugs. We focus on the release mechanism, its evaluation and safety evaluation of self-assembled film as drug carrier in vivo and in vitro. The review shows the great application prospect of LbL technology in the field of drug delivery.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of dual-color and dual-fusion interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (D-FISH) in determining the tumor load in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) receiving imatinib therapy.

METHODSThe BCR-ABL fusion gene was detected by FISH in 24 cases of chronic myeloid leukemia treated with imatinib. The sensitivity and specificity of D-FISH were compared with those of single-fusion FISH (S-FISH) and RT-PCR.

RESULTSD-FISH was more sensitive and specific than S-FISH. In normal control subjects, the cutoff rates of D-FISH and S-FISH were 0.73% and 6.24%, respectively, showing a significant difference between them. In 24 CML cases receiving imatinib treatment, the positivity rates of S-FISH and D-FISH were 7/24 (29.2%) and 13/24 (54.2%), respectively. The results of D-FISH had a high correlation to that of RT-PCR.

CONCLUSIONWith lower false positive and false negative results, D-FISH can be used as a sensitive and specific method for monitoring the changes of the tumor load in CML patients during imatinib treatment.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Benzamides ; Child ; Female ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; genetics ; Genes, abl ; genetics ; Humans ; Imatinib Mesylate ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; methods ; Interphase ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; drug therapy ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Piperazines ; therapeutic use ; Pyrimidines ; therapeutic use ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tumor Burden ; drug effects ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the relationship between plasma trough level of imatinib and clinical outcomes in Chinese CML patients.

METHODSPlasma trough levels in 416 CML patients who received imatinib orally in six general hospitals were assessed. The correlations of imatinib plasma trough level with baseline characteristics including age, weight and BSA, and clinical response were evaluated.

RESULTS(1) Effects of age, body weight and BSA on imatinib plasma trough levels were not to be clinically significant. (2) Median imatinib plasma trough levels was 1271 (109-4329). Imatinib plasma trough level was related to dose of imatinib administration. Plasma trough levels at imatinib of dose < 400, 400 and > 400 mg were (969 ± 585), (1341 ± 595) and (1740 ± 748) µg/L (P < 0.01), respectively. (3) There was no statistic difference in imatinib plasma trough level with complete cytogenetic response [CCyR (1337 ± 571) µg/L vs no CCyR (1354 ± 689) µg/L, P = 0.255]. (4) Imatinib plasma trough level might be important for a good clinical response in some CML patients.

CONCLUSIONThere was a large interpatient variability in imatinib plasma concentration in Chinese CML patients. No correlation of imatinib plasma trough level with CCyR was observed. However, higher doses of imatinib were shown to attain greater trough plasma concentration, suggesting that imatinib plasma trough level might be important for a good clinical response in some CML patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Benzamides ; blood ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Imatinib Mesylate ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; blood ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Piperazines ; blood ; therapeutic use ; Pyrimidines ; blood ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Adult ; African Continental Ancestry Group ; ethnology ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Calcinosis ; complications ; Coronary Disease ; complications ; Female ; HIV Infections ; complications ; pathology ; physiopathology ; HIV-1 ; Heart Diseases ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Lipid Metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardium ; pathology

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to establish an in vitro method to purify human multipotent adult progenitor cells (hMAPCs) and assess their possible differentiation into hepatocytes by coculture with human hepatocyte line L02. METHODS: hMAPCs were isolated by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) depletion selection using CD45 and GlyA microbeads. After indirect or direct coculture of hMAPCs and human hepatocyte line L02, the expression of albumin (ALB), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), cytokeratin (CK) 18, and CK19 by hMAPCs was detected by immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: With the MACS method, (5-10) x 10(4)/mL hMAPCs could be separated from 1 x 10(6)/mL bone marrow mononuclear cells. The purity of CD45-/GlyA- cells separated from bone marrow adherent cells was more than 98%, as determined by flow cytometry. In the coculture without cell-to-cell contact, hMAPCs expressed high AFP on day 1, and then tapered daily to low expression on day 7; ALB expression reached its peak on day 5, and remained high on day 7; CK18 was initially expressed on day 5 and was higher on day 7; CK19 was negative in all assays. In the coculture with cell-to-cell contact, ALB and CK18 were expressed by most cells while AFP appeared in only a few on day 5. CONCLUSION: hMAPCs were induced to differentiate into mature hepatocyte-like cells by coculture with a hepatocyte cell line, either with or without cell-to-cell contact, but the former seemed more effective.
Adult* ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; Bone Marrow ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Line ; Coculture Techniques* ; Flow Cytometry ; Hepatocytes* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratins ; Microspheres ; Stem Cells*

Abstract?AIM: To investigate mechanism of bradykinin ( BK) on inflammations of retinal pigment epithelium ( RPE) cells.?METHODS: ARPE -19 cells were cultured in vitro, stimulated by 100nM BK for 24h. Cell morphology changes were observed by microscope, and BK receptor localization was detected through cell immunofluorescence. Changes of Ca2+in BK and BR antagonist stimuli were detected by laser scanning confocal microscopy.The expressions of COX-1, COX-2, eNOS and iNOS protein in control group and BK group were detected by Western Blot.?RESULTS: After the stimulation of BK, there was no significant changes of ARPE-19 cells in morphology.Kinin B1 receptors ( B1R ) and B2 receptors ( B2R ) could be detected in ARPE-19 cells.Compared with control group, Ca2+concentrations significantly increased in BK group; in B1R antagonist group and B2R antagonist group Ca2+concentrations increased less than BK group; B1R and B2R antagonist group showed no obvious changes in Ca2+concentrations.Compared with control group, COX-2 and iNOS protein concentrations were significantly increased in BK group (P<0.001).?CONCLUSION:BK induces the increasing expression of COX-2 and iNOS in the cultured ARPE cells through binding with either B1R or B2R.

Objective:To determine the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FrND) scale among smoking male inpatients with schizophrenia.Methods:Two hundred and twenty smoking male inpatients,who met criteria for schizophrenia of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,Fourth Edition (DSM-Ⅳ),were consecutively included.FTND scale and Russell's Reasons for Smoking Questionnaire (RRSQ) were used to assess subjects'severity of nicotine dependence and addiction score of the dimension of reason for smoking,respectively.According to the principle of voluntariness,37 subjects were selected and re-assessed with FTND scale after two-week interval.Reliability,correlation and factor analyses were used to examine the reliability and validity.Results:The Cronbach α (internal consistency) and two-week re-test reliability coefficients of FTND scale were 0.68 and 0.72 (P ＜0.01),respectively.The criterion related validity coefficient with addiction score of RRSQ was 0.53 (P ＜0.01).Two common factors were abstracted from the scale factor analysis,accounting for 52.4％ of the total variance.There were statistically significant differences between patients with different duration of illness,number of hospitalizations and age of smoking initiation (P ＜0.05).Conclusion:The Chinese version of FTND scale for smoking male inpatients with schizophrenia has a relatively low internal consistency and good re-test reliability,criterion related validity,construct validity and empirical validity.