OBJECTIVETo explore the alterations of after depolarization and triggered activity in myocardiac muscle during progression of mouse aortic stenosis.

METHODSAfter the establishment of mouse aortic stenosis model, the heart was collected and intracellular potential was recorded using standard glass microelectrode. After the recording, the action potential (AP), early after depolarization (EAD), delayed after depolarization (DAD) in papillary muscles were analysed.

RESULTS(1) Compared with that of time-matched control mice, there were no changes of the action potoutial duration at 90% repolarization(APD90) in model mice at 2 and 5 weeks, whereas the APD90 was progressively prolonged at 9 and 13 weeks. (2) During the 30 minites of the experiment, spontaneous EADs and DADs were frequently present in medel mice at 9 and 13 weeks, were not in control and model mice at 2 and 5 weeks. (3) Compared with those of control group, EADs and DADs triggered by hypokalaemia or isoproterenol were increased significantly. The incidence rate of triggering EADs and DADs was progressively increased over time.

CONCLUSIONEAD, DAD and trigger activities increase gradually during the process of aortic stenosis, and it suggests that the myocardium electrical-instability is markedly increased in the insult hearts.

Action Potentials ; physiology ; Animals ; Aortic Valve Stenosis ; physiopathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Mice ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo find the characteristic parameters from electrocardiogram (ECG) which is most related to pathological progress, surface ECG was performed in mice at 2, 5, 9 and 13 week post surgery.

METHODSElectrocardiogram recordings: The mice were anaesthetized with tribromoethanol (250 mg/kg, i.p.). Lead II surface ECG were acquired by using the Biopac System MP150 at a rate of 5 kHz.

RESULTS(1) No arrhythmia was observed in Sham and 2-week Band mice. Spontaneous arrhythmias were observed in ECG recordings, with an incidence of 15%, 28% and 63% in 5-, 9- and 13-week Band mice, respectively. Tachyarrhythmias, such as frequent premature ventricular extrasystole, bigeminy, trigeminy, and paroxysmal tachycardia were found. (2) Analysis of ECG recordings revealed a significant prolongation of QT and QTc intervals. Compared with age-matched Sham mice, the increment in QT and QTc intervals was 20.4%, 32.7%, 49.7%, 61.0% and 27.1%, 32.1%, 43.9%, 59.1% at 2, 5, 9 and 13 week, respectively (P < 0.01). (3) The characteristic change in electrocardiogram was on the J wave. The amplitude of J wave was upward in Sham mice, and it was significantly flattened or inverted in Band mice. (4) Except that RR interval at 2 week showed a slight decrease, there was no significant change in PR interval and RR interval in Band mice.

CONCLUSIONIn the present study, we found that the increase incidence of spontaneous arrhythmias, prologation of QT interval and changes in the amplitude of the J wave in the surface ECG during progression of mouse cardiac hypertrophy and failure, and the progressive pattern indicated that a gradual aggravation of the ventricular repolarization delay in this mouse model.

Animals ; Cardiomegaly ; physiopathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electrocardiography ; Male ; Mice

AlM:To observe the efficacy of using botulinum toxin A in the treatment of blepharospasm.
METHODS: Totally 113 patients with blepharospasm were managed with a local injection of botulinum toxin A, and the therapeutic effect was evaluated.
RESULTS:Fifty-nine cases ( 52. 2%) had a complete remission of symptoms, 49 patients ( 43. 4%) presented with obvious relieved spasm, 4 cases ( 3. 5%) were partially relieved and the 1 patient ( 0. 9%) remained unchanged. The total effective rate was 99. 1%. The time of beginning effect was 1-14d. The recover time was mostly in 14d. The average of therapeutic effect lasted 1-9mo. Adverse reactions such as mild palpebra dysraphism, palpebra ptosis and local subcutaneous blood stasis were found in 23 patients, and the symptoms disappeared in 2-4wk.
CONCLUSlON:Botulinum toxin A can effectively control medium and severe blepharospasm by injecting a little dose on local muscle.

BACKGROUND:Separating umbilical cord blood stem cells using tubes has low efficiency,and microbial contamination easily occurs during this process,therefore,safety cannot be ensured in clinical application.lt is urgent to find a method for separating umbilical cord blood stem cells to treat femoral head necrosis.OBJECTIVE:To establish a high efficient,safe,and clinically valuable method to separate umbilical cord blood stem cells.DESIGN,TIME AND SETTING:A self-control experiment was performed at the First Department of Surgery,Zhengzhou Second People's Hospital,Institute of Blood Constituent Application,Henan Red Cross Blood Centre between February 2006 and August 2007.PARTICIPANTS:Eight male patients with femoral head necrosis,averaging 40.6 years of age,were included in this study.Of these patients,4 had the history of hormone application.An average of 90 mL umbilical cord blood was harvested from each healthy normal full term neonate from Maternal and Children Health Care Hospital of Zhengzhou City.The quadruple bags used for separating umbilical cord blood stem cells consisted of 1 main bag,1 empty bag,and 2 physiological saline bags,provided by Shandong Weigao Holding,China.METHODS:Within 6 hours after collection,umbilical cord blood was centrifuged in the empty bag of quadruple bag,which was connected with an aseptic filling machine.After centrifugation,partial blood plasma was discarded,and the remaining erythrocytes were thoroughly mixed by adding hetastarch.Five minutes later,the mixture was diluted with physical saline at 1:1.Umbilical cord blood was slowly added into the main bag (at 1:1),in which,human lymphocyte separating medium was pre-added.After cantrifugation,the upper layer of solution,i.e.,monocyte-rich solution,was transferred into another empty bag.Within 24hours of preservation,after suspension with umbilical blood plasma,umbilical cord monocytes were transfused into patients with femoral head necrosis via superficial vein on the hand back,monocytes≥1×108/portion,2 portions once.There were three treatment courses,each involving three transfusion sessions,one session every 4 days,and a 2-3-month interval between two treatment courses.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Cell recovery rate and cell viability of umbilical cord blood monocytes and improvements in clinical symptoms.RESULTS:The separation of quadruple bags could obtain umbilical cord blood monocytes with high recovery rate.Furthermore,microbial contamination hardly occurred in the process of separation.Hip joint pain relieved or disappeared to different extents in all 8 patients,with an effective rate of 100%.Abduction and internal rotation of hip joint,ambulation distance,and gait were markedly improved.At 6 months after cell transplantation,5 patients presented with changed bone density in femoral head necrosis regions,2 showed normal femoral head morphology,and the remaining 1 exhibited no obvious changes.Joint effusion was reduced or disappeared in 12 hips.Magnetic resonance images showed that femoral head morphology had been improved in various degrees in 9 hips,but no changes in 3 hips.No complications,fever,or allergies occurred during and after cell transplantation.CONCLUSION:The method of separating stem cells from umbilical cord blood in junction with aseptic interface technology is highly effective,safe,and clinically valuable.Multiple intravenous transfusions of umbilical cord blood stem cells provide a novel approach for systemic treatment of femoral head necrosis.

AIM:To observe the structural basis of ocular motility abnormalities in patients with congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles type Ⅰ ( CFEOM Ⅰ) due to missense mutations in the developmental kinesin KIF21A using high - resolution magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI) .
METHODS: Totally 11 affected individuals reported KIF21A mutations were correlated with MRI studies demonstrating extraocular muscles ( EOMs ) size, location, contractility, and innervation. EOMs and the motor nerve in the orbits were imaged with T1 weighted in a triplanar scan using a dual-phased coils with 2. 0mm thick. Motor nerves were imaged at the brainstem using head coils and 3D-FIESTA with 0. 6-mm thick.
RESULTS: Patients with CFEOM Ⅰ exhibited different degrees of hypoplasia of oculomotor nerve, the abducens nerve and the trochlear nerve were also affected, of which 8 cases of orbital section could see the signal of abnormal nerve dominated by oculomotor nerve to lateral rectus. The both sides of six EOMS in all patients exhibited variable atrophy and abnormal bright internal signal on T1 imaging, particularly severe for the superior rectus and levator muscles.
CONCLUSION: High - resolution MRI can directly demonstrate pathology of motor nerves,affected EOMs, and ‘Pulley' hypoplasia caused by CFEOM Ⅰ due to mutations in KIF21A,and these findings suggest that the neuronal hypoplasia is the etiological factor of CFEOM.

OBJECTIVEThere is little knowledge on whether there is clustering of inflammatory biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), soluble intracellular adhesion molecule1-1 (sICAM-1), and angiotensin II (Ang II), in individuals with hypertension in the Mongolian population. In the present study, we investigated this relationship in a Mongolian population in China.

METHODSA total of 2589 adult Mongolians, aged 20 years and older, were recruited as study participants. Data on demographics, lifestyle, family history of hypertension, blood pressure, and blood chemistry were collected, and inflammatory biomarkers were measured in all participants.

RESULTSThe proportion of subjects with increased levels of two or three biomarkers was significantly higher in those with hypertension (21.0% and 6.0%, respectively) than in those with prehypertension (12.7% and 0.5%, respectively) or normotension (8.1% and 0.2%, respectively). The multivariate adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of hypertension associated with increased levels of one, two or three biomarkers were 0.94 (0.72-1.22), 1.42 (0.93-2.16), and 11.08 (1.45-84.80), respectively, compared with subjects with no increase in any biomarker.

CONCLUSIONHypertension was associated with a cluster of inflammatory biomarkers in the Mongolian population.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Angiotensin II ; genetics ; metabolism ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; C-Reactive Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; China ; Female ; Genetic Markers ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Hypertension ; genetics ; Inflammation ; genetics ; metabolism ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Objective To study the changes of somatostatin(SOM) in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of children with convulsive diseases.Methods Sixty-seven children with convulsive diseases were studied as following:obtaining the samples of plasma in the 1st and 7th day after being in hospital,and the samples of CSF in the 1st after being in hospital.We investigated the changes of SOM in plasma and CSF with radioimmunoassay(RIA).Results 1.Convulsive group:the concentration of SOM in plasma in the 7th day(29.47?9.40 ng/L) was significant lower than that in the 1st day(39.23?11.00 ng/L)(t=21.530 P0.05).The concentration of SOM in plasma in the 1st day in control group was(19.58?6.04) ng/L.There were significant differences in convulsive group and encephalitis group without convulsion, control group(t= 6.847,7.921 P

Objective To explore the culturing strategies,curiculum provision,courses conferring methods,teaching effects as well as the associated managerial evaluations on the basis of Sino-French cooperation on medical education with the hope of summarizing helpful suggestions to Sino-Foreign cooperation on medical education. Methods The achievements of our Sino-French cooperation on medical education were analyzed and compared in the teaching models,culturing strategies along with courses conferring processes among seven-year medical students from both English-teaching and French-teaching classes. Results Our Sino-French cooperation on medical education was featured in its distinct culturing purposes and effective teaching model.Its scientifically formulated culturing strategy found its full expression in French-teaching atmosphere.The Sino-French cooperation on medical education was consistently welcomed and favorably recommended by both faculties and students. Conclusion The Sino-French cooperation on medical education has not only gained precious experience in culturing the cutting-edge medical talents with the international visions but also conduced to fulfill the goal to establish a modernized and internationalized medical school.

ObjectiveTo investigate the differences of whole blood chemical elements and urinary fluorine between patients with endemic fluomsis and patients without endemic fluorosis,and to find out the elements associated with endemic fluorosis and further lay a theoretical basis for clarify the pathogenesis of the disease.MethodsUsing case-control study,100 children aged 8 - 12 with dental fluorosis in Wushan and Fengjie counties of Chongqing from December 2010 to February 2011,and 30 adults with skeletal fluorosis were enrolled as case group; 100 children aged 8 - 12 without dental fluorosis and 30 adults without skeletal fluorosis were enrolled as internal control group; and 50 children without dental fluorosis and 30 healthy adults were selected as external control group in non-epidemic areas in Yubei district.Whole blood copper,zinc,calcium,magnesium,iron and urinary fluorine of all subjects were determined,and differences of these indexes were compared between groups.ResultsThe levels of copper,zinc,calcium,magnesium,iron and urinary fluorine of children in the case group were (30.08 ± 2.83),(74.04 ± 9.75)μmol/L,(1.65 ± 0.29),(1.37 ± 0.17),(6.79 ± 1.27)mmol/L,and (0.73 ±0.37)mg/L,respectively; the levels of these elements of children in internal control group were (28.65 ± 3.96),(72.83 ± 11.35)μmol/L,(1.62 ± 0.27),(1.36 ± 0.18),(6.73 ± 1.22)mmol/L,and (0.48 ± 0.21)mg/L,respectively; in external control group were (32.03 ± 2.99),(77.78 ± 10.85)μmol/L,(1.41 ± 0.11),(1.43 ± 0.13),(7.66 ±0.55)mmol/L,and (0.49 ± 0.26)mg/L,respectively(all P＜ 0.05),the comparison between any two groups indicated the levels of copper,zinc,magnesium,iron of the case group were lower than that of external control group,urinary fluorine was higher than that of internal and external control groups(all P ＜ 0.05).The levels of copper,zinc,calcium,magnesium,iron and urinary fluorine of adult case were (26.93 ± 4.37),(95.89 ± 12.45)μmol/L,(1.50 ± 1.76),(1.56 ± 1.96),(8.15 ± 1.00)mmol/L,and (2.17 ± 0.99)mg/L; internal control group were (26.26 ±4.96),(94.86 ± 12.18)μmol/L,(1.57 ± 0.12),(1.46 ± 0.16),(7.64 ± 1.00)mmol/L,and (1.44 ± 1.22)mg/L;external control group were (26.20 ± 2.96),(96.52 ± 11.11)μmol/L,(1.48 ± 0.14),(1.45 ± 0.16),(7.81 ±0.91 )mmol/L,and (0.55 ± 0.21 )mg/L,respectively.The levels of magnesium,iron and urinary fluorine of case group were higher than that of internal control group,magnesium and urinary fluorine were higher than that of external control group(all P ＜ 0.05).ConclusionsIn vivo anti-fluorine elements are deficient in the areas with endemic fluorosis.Other chemical elements,the environment and genetic factors may be related to the pathogenesisof the disease,which needs a further comprehensive analysis.

Objective To observe the morphological characteristics of hypopus of Acarus siro in the stored wheat in Linquan County,Anhui Province. Methods The wheat samples were collected from the wheat which had been stored for more than six months. The hypopodes of A. siro were isolated from the stored wheat,and were made into the glass specimens,and then were identified under an optical microscope. Results The structural features of the hypopus were found under the microscope,such as the setae of tibia and setae of genu,and the foot claws were well-developed,and the genital seta bases and the pair of sucker were almost at the same baseline. Conclusion The hypopodes of A. siro are found in the stored wheat,and therefore,the effec-tive measures should be taken to control the hazard to the stored grain.