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

Health Facilities ; Humans ; Medical Waste Disposal ; methods ; standards ; Public Health Practice ; standards

Background Sustained abnormal tear secretion in dry eye patients may lead to ocular surface and lacrimal glands in the state of long-term inflammatory cell infiltration.Lacrimal gland suffers immune attack by lymphoproliferative,and inflammation interferes normal gland secretion,in which chemokines and their receptors on lymphocytes play a key role.Objective This study was to investigate the inflammation mechanism of delayed allergy induced by Th1 cell in the development of dry eye.Methods Sixty eyes of 30 patients with dry eye and matched 30 healthy volunteers were enrolled in Affiliated First Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from June to December in 2012.Schirmer Ⅰ test (S Ⅰ t),break up time (BUT) of tear and corneal fluorescence stain (FLS) were performed on the subjects,and conjunctiva epithelial cells were obtained using cytological method of conjunctiva imprinting.Positive cell rates of CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) and CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) were detected by flow cytology,and the relative expression levels of regulated upon activation of normal T cells exp ressed and secreted (RANTES),macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-lα and MIP-1β,monokine induced by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) (MIG),interferon-γ inducible protein 10 (IP10) and interferon-inducible T-cell α chemoattractant (I-TAC) mRNA were quantitatively assayed by real-time PCR.Differences of the positive rates of CCR5,CXCR3 and lignds were compared between dry eye group and normal control group.Relationship between the positive rates of CCR5,CXCR3 and BUT,S Ⅰ t,FLS scores was analyzed.Results The values of BUT,S Ⅰ t were (2.90±1.37) seconds and (4.00±2.49) mm/5 minutes in the dry eye group,which were significantly lower than (8.56±4.69) seconds and (11.31 ±5.23) mm/5 minutes in the normal control group (t =3.172,2.186,both at P＜0.05).FLS scores,positive rates of CCR5 and CXCR3 were0.90±0.57,(3.38±0.66) ％ and (2.64±0.47)％ in the dry eye group,showing significant elevations in comparison with 0.14±0.06,(2.12±0.21) ％ and (1.12±0.11) ％ in the normal control group (t=2.297,3.151,5.454,all at P＜0.05).In the dry eye group,the masculine rate of CCR5 was negatively correlated with BUT and S Ⅰ t (r=-0.473,-0.385,both at P＜0.05).The masculine rate of CXCR3 was negatively correlated with BUT and S Ⅰ t (r =-0.753,-0.684,both at P＜0.05).No considerable correlations between the positive rate of CCR5 with the positive rate of CXCR3 or FLS scores (r =0.231,0.336,both at P＜0.05).The relative expression levels of RANTES,MIP-1α,MIG and IP10 mRNA in the dry eye group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group (t =3.091,2.894,2.688,2.245,all at P＜0.05),but there were no significant differences in the relative expression levels of MIP-1β and I-TAC mRNA between the two groups (t =0.512,1.979,both at P＞0.05).The positive correlations were seen between the masculine rate of CCR5 with the relative expression of RANTES or MIP-1α mRNA (r=0.473,0.285,both at P＜0.05),but there was no obvious correlation between the masculine rate of CCR5 and the MIP-1 β mRNA expression(r=0.214,P＞0.05).In addition,the masculine rate of CXCR3 was positive correlated with the expressions of MIG and IP10 mRNA (r=0.553,0.314,both at P＜0.05),whereas the masculine rate of CXCR3 was not related to the expression of I-TAC mRNA (r=0.364,P＞0.05).Conclusions Dry eye is probably along with the long-term infiltration of inflammatory cells.The delayed allergy induced by Th1 cells and the nature killed cells is probably the primary cause to xerophthalmia.CCR5,CXCR3 and their ligands might be the regulative targets in the inflammation mechanism of dry eye.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the effect of Chinese herbs used by Prof. LI Tao on peripheral blood T subsets in treating multiple sclerosis (MS) by using association rules and statistical methods, thereby providing evidence for optimizing prescriptions.

METHODSData of MS inpatients and outpatients recorded by data collecting system, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences were resorted. The relationship between Chinese herbs and T cell subsets were analyzed using SPSS17.0 and Aprior module in SPSS Clementine 12.0.

RESULTSRadix bupleuri, Radix Paeoniae alba, Fructus Aurantii, Atractylodes, and Radix Glycyrrhizae were most commonly used herbal combinations.Radix Aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma Smilacis glabrae were often added. Radix Aconiti lateralis preparata was associated with decreased Th1 cells (confidence level 83.78%, supportive level 36.26%). Decreased Th1 cell was associated with Radix Aconiti lateralis preparata (confidence level 71.26%, supportive level 36.26%).Radix Aconiti lateralis preparata was obviously associated with decreased Th1 cells. Radix Bupleuri, Radix Paeoniae alba, bitter orange, Atractylodes , Radix glycyrrhizae, and Radix Aconiti lateralis preparata could reduce peripheral blood Th1 subsets of MS patients and elevate Th2 subsets (all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe herbal combination of Radix Bupleuri, Radix Paeoniae alba, Fructus Aurantii, Atractylodes, Radix Glycyrrhizae, Rhizoma Smilacis glabrae, and Radix Aconiti lateralis preparata could lower peripheral blood Th1 cells and elevate Th2 cells, and prevent the relapse of MS possibly by reducing Th1 cells and elevating Th2 cells. Especially Radix Aconiti lateralis preparata played important roles in aforesaid changes of Th1 and Th2.

Aconitum ; chemistry ; Atractylodes ; chemistry ; Bupleurum ; chemistry ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Glycyrrhiza ; chemistry ; Humans ; Multiple Sclerosis ; therapy ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Smilacaceae ; chemistry ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; drug effects

Vibrio parahaemolyticus has been considered as one of the most important foodborne bacterial pathogens.The loop-mediated isothermal amplification(LAMP) that amplifies DNA with high specificity and rapidity under an isothermal condition was applied for rapid detection of this pathogen for the first time.A set of four primers,two outer and two inner primers,was designed specifically to recognize the thermolabile hemolysin gene(tlh) of V.parahaemolyticus.The LAMP reaction mix was optimized.The most optimal reaction temperature and time of the LAMP assay for the tlh gene were 60℃ and 60min,respectively.Genomic DNAs from 28 bacterial strains including 14 V.parahaemolyticus strains were amplified using LAMP,and no amplicon was observed in other bacterial strains.The detection limit of this LAMP assay was around 90 fg of V.parahaemolyticus genomic DNA and 24 colonies forming units for pure cultures.In addition,this method was applied to detect artificially contaminated food samples,and the detection limit was 89 cfu/g for non-cultured artificially contaminated food samples.These results suggested that detection of V.parahaemolyticus by LAMP is an effective and low-cost procedure with high specificity and sensitivity that requires no specialized equipment.This assay is expected to become a valuable tool for rapid detection and identification of V.parahaemolyticus.

Diabetic Retinopathy ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retinal Vein Occlusion ; complications ; Vitrectomy ; Vitreous Hemorrhage ; etiology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Qinghuang Powder (QHP) combined Chinese herbs for Pi-strengthening and Shen-reinforcing (CHPSSR) on hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) in bone marrow mononuclear cells of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients.

METHODSChanges of HIF-1alpha in bone marrow mononuclear cells of MDS patients were detected in 25 MDS patients treated by QHP combined CHPSSR using flow cytometry. Meanwhile, 13 healthy subjects were recruited as the control group. Changes HIF-1alpha levels in various serial bone marrow mononuclear cells were detected.

RESULTS(1) Among the 25 patients in the treatment group, there were 19 patients effective and 6 patients ineffective, with the total effective rate being 76%. (2) Compared with before treatment, levels of peripheral blood WBC, Hb, PLT, and ANC significantly increased in the treatment group after treatment, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). (3) Compared with before treatment, the HIF-1alpha mean fluorescence intensity was enhanced in bone marrow lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes, and nucleated red blood cells of the treatment group after treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, the HIF-1alpha mean fluorescence intensity was weakened in bone marrow lymphocytes, monocytes, and nucleated red blood cells of the treatment group before treatment; while it was obviously enhanced in granulocytes (P < 0.01). But after treatment the HIF-1alpha mean fluorescence intensity increased more in the granulocytes of the treatment group than in those of the control group (P < 0.01), but there was no statistical difference in bone marrow lymphocytes, monocytes, or nucleated red blood cells.

CONCLUSIONQHP combined CHPSSR could improve HIF-1alpha levels in bone marrow lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes, and nucleated red blood cells of MDS patients, thus improving Hb levels of MDS patients, and improving their anemia and correlated symptoms.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Arsenicals ; therapeutic use ; Bone Marrow ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Monocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Phytotherapy ; Young Adult

Air Pollutants, Occupational ; adverse effects ; analysis ; Calcium Carbonate ; adverse effects ; analysis ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dust ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; drug effects ; physiology ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Pneumoconiosis ; epidemiology ; Sampling Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Adenoma ; Adult ; Ear Neoplasms ; Ear, Middle ; pathology ; Humans ; Male