OBJECTIVETo study the effect of ligustrazine on the migration of neuronal precursors (NPs) after focal cerebral ischemia in adult rats and explore its acting mechanism on recovery of function.

METHODSRat model of left middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was established by thread ligation. Ligustrazine 40 mg/kg was injected peritoneally once a day 2 h after modeling. On the 3rd, 7th, 14th and 21st day after operation, the migration of Doublecortin (DCX, the marker of NPs) in subventricular zone (SVZ) and the rostral migratory stream (RMS) were observed with immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe migration of DCX-positive cells in SVZ (abbrev. as migration below) through RMS into the olfactory bulb started from the 3rd day after ischemia, and lasted to the 21st day; the migration directly or through RMS into the ischemic penumbra of the adjacent striatum started on the 7th day, and increased significantly on the 14th day; and a few of DCX positive cells migrated through corpus callosum into the ischemic cortex on the 21st day. The migration was similar in the two groups in its pathway, but the extent in the ligustrazine group was more intensive.

CONCLUSIONLigustrazine could promote direct migration of NPs into the ischemic cerebral cortex and striatum, suggesting that it might play an important role in promoting self-recovery of brain function after ischemia through accelerating the migration of NPs.

Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; pharmacology ; Brain Ischemia ; physiopathology ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neuropeptides ; biosynthesis ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo compare the Golgi proteome of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with that of the adjacent non-tumor tissues.

METHODSHepatocellular carcinoma and adjacent non-tumor tissues were obtained from HCC patients. The protein expression maps in Golgi were obtained by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), and the differentially expressed protein spots were analyzed by PD-Quest software. Peptide mass fingerprint (PMF) of differential protein spots was obtained with MALD-TOT-MS.

RESULTSAccording to 2-DE maps, the average numbers of protein spots were (1153+/-49) and (1086+/-37) in hepatocellular carcinoma and the adjacent non-tumor tissues. Compared to the adjacent non-tumor tissues, 27 proteins were upregulated, and 20 proteins were downregulated in HCC Golgi.

CONCLUSIONSThe Golgi proteome in HCC tissues is different from that in the adjacent non-tumor tissues, and the differential expression proteins are involved in energy metabolism, tumor metastasis, and cell cycle regulation.

Annexin A5 ; analysis ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; methods ; Golgi Apparatus ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplasm Proteins ; analysis ; metabolism ; Proteome ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

Objective To analyze the clinical speciality of invasive fungal infection(IFI)and provide doctors with clinical evidence for early anti-fungal therapy.Method One hundred and thirty-seven patients with 91 male and 46 female,who suffered from invasive fungal infection in ICU from January.1,2000 to June 30, 2006,were enrolled in this study.The age ranged from 17 to 82 years old.Out of 137 patients with IFI,the percentage of albicans candida,glabirate candida,tropicalis candida and parapsilosis candida were 47.4%, 26.3%,20.4% and 3.6%,reseparately.The sputum,urine,blood and other drainages were collected to perform the fungal examination after three days of admission every three days.Results Of 137 patients,42 of them were complicated with hemorrhage,53 patients with IFI developed candida anthema in the chest,abdomen and extremity.,49 patients suffering from IFI had organ dysfunction.The chest image revealed that infiltration caused by IFI especially occurred in apex of lung in some patients.The pathogen analysis displayed that albicans candidiasis easily developed candida anthema,glabirate candidiasis frequently resulted in organ dysfunction,and tropicalis candida led to hemorrhage in some organs.Conclusions The clinical specialty,of IFI caused by candida included hemorrhage,candida anthema,organ dysfunction,and infiltration in apex of lung.

BACKGROUNDThe risk of clinical deterioration still exists in the acute phase despite the fact that patients with minor stroke may display less severe symptoms. The impact of this clinical deterioration on long-term outcomes is unknown. We characterized the clinical features of neurological deterioration (ND) in the acute phase of minor ischemic stroke (MIS) and investigated its impact on mid- and long-term outcomes.

METHODSThis was a multi-centered, prospective clinical study involving patients with MIS (the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, NIHSS ≤3) recruited from the China National Stroke Registry. Patients were included who had been hospitalized within 24 hours of stroke onset. Baseline characteristics, complication rates during hospitalization, etiology of stroke, as well as 3-, 6-, and 12-month post-stroke outcomes were compared between patients with and without ND during the acute phase.

RESULTSA number of 368 (15.2%) out of 2424 patients included in the study exhibited ND in the acute phase. Compared to patients without ND, patients with ND had longer hospital stay, increased rate of baseline diabetes, and multiple complications. Multivariate Logistic regression indicated that ND in acute phase was an independent factor predictive of increased dependence (adjusted odds ratio = 5.20, 95% CI, 3.51-7.70, P < 0.001) at 12-month post-stroke.

CONCLUSIONSThe risk of ND in the acute phase is high in patients with MIS. ND in the acute phase is an independent predictor for poor outcomes at 12 months post-stroke onset.

Aged ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nervous System Diseases ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; complications ; pathology

Objective To investigate the prevalence and epidemiological features of valvular heart disease (VHD)adult populations with different ethnicities in Xinjiang.Methods A total of 14 618 adults aged 35 or older were surveyed.Random sampling was employed to study valvular heart diseases in different age,gender and ethnic groups.Samples were collected fiom 7 localities (Urumqi,Ke lamayi,Fukang,Turfan Basin,Hetian,Altay,Yili Hazakh Autonomous Prefecture) in 23 municipalities and 5 autonomous counties in Xinjiang.The proportion of male to female accounted for 50％ each.Results The overall prevalence of valvular heart diseases was 7.67％ (male:7.31％ vs.female:8.00％).The prevalence rates of valvular heart diseases were 10.57％,2.36％ and 12.22％in Han,Uygur and Kazakh populations,respectively.The prevalence of valvular heart diseases was lower in Uygur than in Hazak and Han ethnic populations ( x2=3.90,P=0.000).Complications related to valvular heart diseases would include hypertension (63.20％),diabetes (7.60％),coronary heart disease (7.50％) and fibrillation atrial (3.20％).Conclusion The prevalence of valvular heart diseases had a substantial increase,parallel with age.Differences were seen on the prevelance rates of VHD among ethnic populations.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of graft composition on hematopoietic reconstitution and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in HLA-identical related donor peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) for hematological malignancies.

METHODSThe relationship between the number of graft composition and their hematopoietic reconstitution and GVHD in 107 patients with hematological malignancies undergoing HLA-identical related donor PBSCT was retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSNone of the graft composition numbers had correlation with the time of neutrophil reconstitution. There was a negative correlation between the number of mononuclear cells (MNCs) or CD34+ cells and the time of platelet reconstitution (P < 0.05) with the absolute correlation coefficients below 0.4, and so did between the number of CD34+ or CD34+ CD38- cells and the development of acute GVHD (P < 0.05) and their absolute correlation coefficients. Each lymphocyte subset number had no correlation with acute GVHD. There was a positive correlation between the number of CD25+ CD4+, CD3+ or CD4+ CD3+ cells or CD4+ /CD8+ ratio and the development of chronic GVHD (P < 0.05). And the correlation coefficients all exceeded 0.4, more over, CD25+ CD4+ cells number reached up to 0.78. CD34+, CD34+ CD38- cells number had no correlation with chronic GVHD.

CONCLUSIONIn HLA-identical related donor PBSCT, further increasing infused MNC, CD34+, CD34+ CD38- cells can no more accelerated hematopoietic reconstitution after these cells attained their threshold values, otherwise the incidence of cGVHD might increase due to the increase of the accompanied lymphocytes.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Female ; Graft vs Host Disease ; immunology ; pathology ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; Retrospective Studies ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between aberrant FHIT transcripts and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSReverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) assays were used to analyze the transcripts and mutations of FHIT gene in 24 matched tumorous tissues and para-tumorous tissues from patients with HCC and in 4 normal liver tissues.

RESULTSAberrant FHIT transcripts were observed in 11 out of 24 (46%) tumorous tissues and in 2 (8%) of the matched para-tumorous tissues.

CONCLUSIONFHIT aberrant transcripts may play an important role in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Acid Anhydride Hydrolases ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; Mutation ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective To investigate the characteristic clinical manifestations and gene mutations in mitochondrial myopathy,encephalopathy,lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes(MELAS).Methods The clinical manifestations,imaging data and muscle pathologies of a patient with MELASwere analyzed,and the mutations in the mitochondrial DNA were investigated using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP)and gene sequencing.Results MELAS was clinically characterized by such symptoms as recurrent headache and vomiting,stroke-like episodes,epilepsy,intolerance to exercise,short stature,nerve deafness and lactic acidosis.CT scan demonstrated bilateral basal ganglia calcification,and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)showed abnormal signals in the occipital lobe.Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed a visible peak of lactic acid in the area with T2-weighted abnormal signals,while a low peak of lactic acid was identified in the area with T2-weighted normal signals.Muscle biopsy did not find any mitochondrial anomalies.A heterozygous A 3243G mutation in the mitochondrial DNA was found in this patient.Conclusion The diagnosis of MELAS relies on a comprehensive analysis of the clinical features,imaging findings,pathological results and genetic analysis.Normal pathological results do not rule out the possibility of MELAS.Mitochondrial DNA mutation analysis should be carried out as a routine procedure for identifying MELAS.

OBJECTIVETo gain a clear idea of the function of middle ear and hearing in cleft palate with secretory otitis media after pressure equalization tube insertion.

METHODS53 cleft palate cases with secretory otitis media including 62 ears were divided into treatment and control groups. They were examined by tympanogram and hearing threshold.

RESULTSHearing threshold in treatment group after PE tube insertion respectively was 23.3 dB and 23.4 dB in the near future and at a specified future date. It was normal. But there were still 64% tympanogram B and C.

CONCLUSIONSPE tube insertion could solve hearing problem, but could not improve the function of middle ear.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cleft Palate ; complications ; Ear, Middle ; physiology ; Female ; Hearing ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Ear Ventilation ; Otitis Media with Effusion ; etiology ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between the polymorphism of potassium voltage-gated channel, Isk-related family, member 1 (KCNE1) gene and atrial fibrillation (AF) in Uigur patients of Xinjiang.

METHODSThree hundred and three patients with atrial fibrillation and 328 healthy controls were tested for the genotype for the KCNE1 gene SNP in the rs1805127 locus by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The risk factors were also included.

RESULTSThe genotype frequencies of AA, AG and GG were 0.092 (28/303), 0.386 (117/303) and 0.522 (158/303) in the AF patients while they were 0.122(40/328), 0.485 (159/328) and 0.393 (129/328) in controls. There was significant difference in frequencies of the three genotypes (chi-square was 10.465, P=0.005) and G allele (0.715 vs. 0.636, chi-square was 8.907, P=0.003) between the AF and control groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that the KCNE1 polymorphism was the main risk factor of AF in Uigur population. The OR value of genotype GG was 1.55, the 95% CI: 0.73-3.27.

CONCLUSIONFor Uigur population, genetic polymorphism of rs1805127 locus of the KCNE1 gene may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; ethnology ; genetics ; Atrial Fibrillation ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Ethnic Groups ; ethnology ; Exons ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; genetics ; Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated ; genetics