Objective To investigate serum galectin-3 levels in patients with chronic heart failure and evaluate its clinical significance for heart failure.Methods A total of 108 chronic heart failure patients were selected.The selected patients were divided into three groups according to the classification of New York Heart Association (NYHA,from degree Ⅱ to Ⅳ).In addition,30 healthy persons were chosen as control group.All the patients received cardiac ultrasound examination.Plasma levels of N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP),serum levels of galectin-3 and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured and analyzed.Results Galectin-3 levels were significantly higher in chronic heart failure patients compared with control group(P ＜ 0.05).In chronic heart failure group,the increase of serum concentration of galectin-3 was correlated with the degree of NYHA function classification.Correlation analysis showed that blood level of galectin 3 was strongly positive correlation with concentration of NT-proBNP and IL-6.There was no correlation between galectin-3 with the cause of heart failure,left ventricular diameter(LVD),and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).Conclusions The levels of galectin-3 was significantly increased in chronic heart failure,and was correlated with degree of heart failure.Galectin-3 might be a new biomarker of heart failure and could provide additive value to NT-proBNP levels in the diagnosis of heart failure.

By using enrichment media NPC and CVP, 792 strains of Pseudomonas and 515 strains of Erwinia were isolated from the rhizosphere of Digitaria adscendens (H. B. K.) Hem and Setaria vindis (L.) Beanv. Following which, experiments of antimetabolic test with E. coli, seed emergence controlling of S. viridis, herbicidal activity and security with green grass were carried out to select the desired bacteria. As the result, the selected strain, S7, could wholly control the seed emergence of S. viridis without any harm to the two tested green grass. And more, S7 promoted the seed emergence of Festuca arundinacea slightly. In spite of the comparatively low corrected mortality (56. 7%) of S7 after emergence of S. viridis, Selecting of microbial herbicides from weed DRB is thought to be more prospective.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the optimal condition for complete removal of the template molecules from vinblastine (VLB)-imprinted polymer.

METHODThe prepared polymers were packed into the cartridges of solid-phase extraction column and washed by methanol-glacial acetic acid mixture with different proportions. The contents and recoveries of VLB in the effluents were determined.

RESULTSPolymer extraction with methanol-glacial acetic acid (9:1, V/V) resulted in VLB recovery of 91.73%, but template bleeding was observed because of incomplete VLB removal. Using methanol-glacial acetic acid (6:4, V/V) as the extraction solvent, the recovery of VLB reached 98.03% with less solvents and extract times. The polymers could selectively adsorb VLB through non-covalent interactions and still exhibited strong affinity for the template molecule but not for the structural analogue vincristine after extraction with methanol-glacial acetic acid (6:4, V/V).

CONCLUSIONMethanol-glacial acetic acid (6:4, V/V) is an ideal extract solvent for complete template molecule removal from the polymers, and the processed polymers possess stable capacity of specific recognition and selectivity to the template.

Molecular Imprinting ; methods ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polymers ; chemistry ; Reproducibility of Results ; Solvents ; chemistry ; Vinblastine ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between the disturbance of nitric oxide/endothelin-I (NO/ET-1) and the hepatic injury following limb ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in rats as well as the regulation of NO/ET-1 system by limb ischemia preconditioning (IPC).

METHODSUsing limb ischemia/reperfusion injury model rats, animals were randomly divided into three groups (n = 6): control group, I/R group and IPC group. The contents of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the plasma as well as nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), nitric oxide/endothelin-1 (NO/ET-1) in the plasma and the liver were measured. The levels of total nitric oxide synthase (tNOS), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) in the liver were determined. The expression of iNOS and endothelial NOS (eNOS) were detected by the immunohistochemical method. The morphologic changes stained with hematoxylineosin were observed under microscope.

RESULTSIt was found that the levels of NO, ET-1 in the plasma and the liver tissue all increased after reperfusion, while the values of ALT, AST, NO/ET-1 decreased. Liver pathology revealed that after limb I/R there were edema, villous microvascular congestion, infiltration of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN), cell degeneration in part cells of the liver. The hepatic damage was deteriorated. While the expression of iNOS elevated, cNOS (mainly eNOS) reduced and total NOS increased. The protection of the limb IPC attenuated the disturbance of NO/ET-1.

CONCLUSIONThe hepatic injury following limb I/R is related to the disturbance of NO/ ET-1. The protection of the limb IPC might be conducted by its regulation of NO/ET-1 system. The elevation of endothelial NOS and the reduction of non-endothelial NOS generated the NO in this situation.

Animals ; Endothelin-1 ; metabolism ; Extremities ; blood supply ; Ischemic Preconditioning ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cytarabine ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Fever ; blood ; chemically induced ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; blood ; drug therapy ; Teniposide ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo determine the incidence and risk factors for nosocomial infection in child epilepsy.

METHODSA retrospective study was conducted among all (292 cases) hospitalized children epilepsy patients in First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from 1996 to 2000 in Fuzhou city. With all patients with nosocomial infection as cases and all patients without nosocomial infection as controls, a case-control study on risk factors for nosocomial infection was carried out. Available data were analyzed by one-way Chi-square test and unconditional logistic multiple regression model.

RESULTSOne hundred fourteen cases of nosocomial infection were identified among 292 cases with epilepsy with an incidence of 39.0% (114/292). The one-way Chi-square test showed that nosocomial infection was significantly associated with age below 3 years (OR = 2.55, P < 0.01), length of hospitalization over 14 days (OR = 4.75, P < 0.01), low intelligence (OR = 3.13, P < 0.01), receiving antibiotic unreasonably (OR = 3.51, P < 0.01), using gastrogarage (OR = 3.12, P < 0.01), other invasive operation (OR = 1.85, P < 0.05) dyskinesia or palsy (OR = 3.51, P < 0.01), and urinary nitrogen beyond normal range (OR = 5.00, P < 0.05), etc. Unconditional logistic multiple regression analysis revealed that the length of hospitalization over 14 days (OR = 4.30, OR 95% CI: 2.48 - 7.46, P < 0.01), taking antibiotic unreasonably (OR = 2.74, OR 95% CI: 1.30 - 5.77, P < 0.01), using gastrogarage (OR = 3.04, OR 95% CI: 1.28 - 7.18, P < 0.05), and low intelligence (OR = 2.32, OR 95% CI: 1.34 - 4.01, P < 0.01) were independent risk factors for nosocomial infection. The tendency chi-square test showed that the longer stay in the hospital with more kinds of antibiotic used and more gastrogarage they used, the greater the risk of nosocomial infection was.

CONCLUSIONData suggested that occurrence of the nosocomial infection of children epilepsy patients was correlated with the length of hospitalization over 14 days, unreasonable using antibiotic, using gastrogarage and low intelligence.

Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Hospitalized ; Child, Preschool ; Cross Infection ; etiology ; Epilepsy ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

Objective To observe the diagnostic value of non-invasive 128-slice computed tomography coronary angiography(CTA)in comparison with invasive coronary angiography.Methods 128-slice CTA and invasive coronary angiography were performed in 78 unselected consecutive patients(63 patients with suspected coronary artery disease and 15 patients with previous coronary stenting,56 males,mean age 61±10 years)and ＞50% reduction of minimal lumen diameter was defined as significant coronary stenosis.Results Fifty-eight out of 879 segments(7%)from CTA were not assessable because of irreguldr rhythm,vessel calcification or tachycardia.Compared with invasive coronary angiography,segmentbased analysis from the 821 segments showed the sensitivity by CTA was 87%,specificity 97%,PPV 83% and NPV 97%.Four out of 22 stents implanted in 15 patients were not assessable by CTA because of poor image quality.Compared with invasive coronary angiography,the sensitivity of diagnosing in-stent restenosis by CTA was 100%,specificity 77%,PPV 63% and NPV 100% for the remaining 18 stents-Conclusions One hundred and twenty-eight-slice CTA has a high accuracy for detecting coronary artery disease and instent restenosis after coronary stenting and could be considered as a valuable noninvasive technique for screening coronary artery disease in suspected patients.

UNLABELLEDThis study is conducted to explore an effective culture method for supporting the embryo development. The cattle fetal ear fibroblasts and the goat fetal ear fibroblasts are transplanted into the enucleated cattle oocytes separately by oocyte intraplasmic nuclear injection method to construct bovine cloned embryos and goat-bovine cloned embryos. The embryos are first cultivated in modified charles rosenkrans 2 amino acid medium (mCR2aa) and modified synthetic oviduct fluid medium (mSOF) separately. Then BSA (8 mg/mL) or FBS (10%) can be added to mSOF according to the different culture period. The supplements and orders, added during the first three days and after three days are as follow: BSA and BSA, BSA and FBS, FBS and BSA, FBS and FBS. On the basis of the cleavage rate, 8/16-cell rate, blastocysts rate and total cell number of blastocysts, the best culture way can be screened out.

RESULTFirst, cleavage rate, 8/16-cell rate, blastocysts rate and total cell number of blastocysts, cultivated in mSOF solution are all higher than those cultivated in mCR2aa( P < 0.05). Second, the cleavage rate and 8/16-cell rate, adding BSA and FBS into mSOF, are in turn 79.8% +/- 7.1%, 49.7% +/- 3.5%, 21.5% +/- 1.8%, and 115.2 +/- 4.3 in bovine cloned embryo, and 40.1% +/- 6.3%, 29.2% +/- 2.0%, 13.4% +/- 2.1% and 100.1 +/- 3.0 in goat-bovine cloned embryo, which are significant higher than other culture groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe goat-bovine cloned embryo can be cultivated by the optimized culture measure of bovine cloned embryo. The best culture ways of bovine cloned embryo and goat-bovine cloned embryo are all to use mSOF supplemented BSA in the first three days and then use mSOF supplemented FBS in the next five days.

Animals ; Cattle ; embryology ; physiology ; Cells, Cultured ; Cloning, Organism ; veterinary ; Ear, External ; cytology ; Embryo Culture Techniques ; methods ; veterinary ; Embryonic Development ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; transplantation ; Goats ; embryology ; physiology ; Nuclear Transfer Techniques ; Oocytes ; cytology

To investigate the effect of cetirizine hydrochloride on the expression of neurokinin 1 receptor (NK-1R) and cytokines production induced by substance P (SP) in HaCaT cells (a human epidermal keratinocyte cell line) and dermal fibroblasts. The effect of cetirizine on the expression of NK-1R protein was detected by flow cytometry and Western blotting analysis. The modulation of cetirizine on the production of interferon (IFN)-gamma, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6 and IL-8 in HaCaT cells and fibroblasts was measured by ELISA. The results showed that cetirizine significantly inhibited the expression of NK-1R in HaCaT cells and fibroblasts. SP induced the production of IFN-gamma, IL-1beta and IL-8 in both cell types. Cetirizine 1-100 micromol x L(-1) inhibited SP-induced IL-1beta and IL-8 production in HaCaT cells and fibroblasts, while had no effect on the production of IFN-gamma in both cells. Both SP and cetirizine had no effect on the secretion of IL-6 in HaCaT cells and fibroblasts. These findings suggest that cetirizine may be involved in the treatment of SP-induced skin inflammation by inhibiting the expression of substance P receptor and regulation the production of IL-1beta and IL-8 in epidermal keratinocyte and dermal fibroblasts.
Anti-Allergic Agents ; pharmacology ; Cell Line ; Cetirizine ; pharmacology ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Histamine H1 Antagonists, Non-Sedating ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; metabolism ; Interleukin-1beta ; metabolism ; Interleukin-8 ; metabolism ; Keratinocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Receptors, Neurokinin-1 ; metabolism ; Substance P ; pharmacology

Objective To explore the relationship between size,shape and function of the left atrium appendage (LAA) and its thrombosis in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to provide evidence for clinical risk assessment,prognosis evaluation and treatment guidance.Method Length,diameter,end-diastolic volume (EDV) and ejection velocity (PEV) of LAA were measured in 41 patients with AF,and thrombus in LAA was detected by TEE.Results Thrombus in LAA was detected in seven of 41 patients of AF (17%).No significant difference in size and EDV was found between the patients with and without thrombus,but there was significant difference in PEV between them (P