OBJECTIVE To investigate the protective effect of sGC003,a novel agonist of soluble guanylate cyclase,on endothelin-1(ET-1)-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. METHODS Cardiomy?ocytes were isolated from neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats using serial enzymatic digestion and then incubated with ET-1 10 nmol·L-1 in the absence or presence of sGC003 0.01,0.1 and 1.0μmol·L-1. Hyper?trophic responses including the cardiomyocyte area(Image-Pro Plus 6.0),the expression of atrial natri?uretic peptide gene(ANP)mRNA(RT-PCR method)and total protein content(BCA method)were detect?ed. RESULTS After 48 h stimulation with ET-1 10 nmol·L-1,the cardiomyocyte area increased by 80%(P<0.01),the total protein content increased by 120%(P<0.01) and the expression of ANP mRNA up-regulated by 140%(P<0.01). sGC003 0.01,0.1 and 1.0μmol · L-1 elicited antihypertrophic actions, including inhibition of ET-1-mediated increase in the cardiomyocyte area(P<0.01),raised total protein content(P<0.05)and upregulation of ANP mRNA(P<0.05). CONCLUSION sGC003 has protective,car?diomyocyte-selective antihypertrophic effects in vitro.

Objective To compare the cervical intervertebral movements produced by posteroanterior cervical mobilization and posteroanterior cervical mobilization combined with cervical traction by using the radiographic measurement.Methods The study recruited 12 normal volunteers (6 men,6 women),aged 18 to 25 years (22.9±4.7 years),heighted (164± 7)cm and weighed (54.7 ± 7.6)kg.All the subjects were administered with posteroanterior cervical mobilization followed by posteroanterior cervical mobilization while having cervical traction,or vice versa,with an interval of 2 days in between.The X-ray films were collected before and after the treatment,using 4 static cervical lateral views.The axial displacement of posterior and anterior intervertebral separation (IVS),and the shear displacement of vertebral body as well as the rotation and displacement rate of the motion segments in the sagittal plane before and after the treatment were measured on the radiographic images and compared.Results It was shown that the posteroanterior cervical mobilization produced greater C2-C7 rotation range of motion in the sagittal plane,as compared to that by the posteroanterior mobilization while having cervical traction (P ＜ 0.05).The posteroanterior mobilization produced a significantly greater increase of anterior IVS of the C5 segment and the summation of C2-C7 posterior IVS than those by posteroanterior mobilization while having cervical traction (P ＜ 0.05).However,the posterior IVS and the posterior zygapophysial joints separation of C2-C7 produced by the posteroanterior mobilization during traction were more prominent (P ＜ 0.05).There was no statistical difference between anteroposterior displacements of the vertebral body produced by the two interventions.Comparing with the baseline,the posteroanterior mobilization caused posterior movement of the vertebral bodies of C5 to C2,while the posteroanterior cervical mobilization during traction produced posterior movement of C5 to C2 vertebral bodies and anterior movement of C6 body.Conclusion The cervical posteroanterior mobilization significantly increased the lordosis from C3 to C7,and reduced posterior IVS and zygapophysial joints separation.However,the posteroanterior mobilization during traction changed the intervertebral movements.

Objective To explore the real ear to coupler difference (RECD) changes in children with hearing aids .Methods 132 severe to profound hearing impaired children who came to hearing center for hearing aids exami-nation and adjustment were recruited into the study .They were put into 6 groups according to the test age ,<1 yr group(15 cases) ,1 yrs group(26 cases) ,2 yrs group(36 cases) ,3 yrs group(29 cases) and 4 yrs group(26 cases) . And all of them had the RECD tests for both ears with custom earmolds .Results The average RECDs for both ears decreased with the age increased .There were statistically differences for the same lateral ears when age differences surpass 2 years except for the difference for left ears between the children in the <1 yr group and 2 yrs group .This study showed there were statistically differences between left and right ears for majority of groups (except for 2 yrs group) .Conclusion RECD is an important factor for individual adjustment .The current results show that the chil-dren with hearing aids should have RECD tests for both ears at least once per two years .

Objective To study the correlation between cognitive distress and tinnitus related handicaps.Methods One hundred and ninety-two primary tinnitus subjects ninety-nine males and ninety-three females were included in this study.The average age was 45±15.52 years old.The average durations of tinnitus for male and female were 25.67±37.71 months and 27.12±45.42 months, respectively.The patients were asked to fill the Mandarin tinnitus questionnaire (MTQ) and Mandarin (Chinese) tinnitus handicap inventory (THI-CM).The correlation between cognitive distress (CD) and tinnitus related handicap was studied.Results The average score of MTQ was 36.95±20.06.The average score of CD (Q17,18,23,41, and 42)was 2.61.The average score of question 17,18, 23,41, and 42 of MTQ was 2.81,2.63,2.59,2.40, and 2.41,respectively.The average score of THI-CM was 23.89±20.06.The correlation between CD and THI-CM was 0.64(P<0.01);for male and female were 0.63 and 0.66(P<0.01),respectively.The correlations between CD and THI-CM among young, middle and old age groups were 0.02,0.07 and 0.38(P>0.01),respectively.The correlations between CD and THI-CM among the nondisabled, mild, moderate and severe groups according to the scores of THI-CM were 0.30(P<0.01),0.29(P>0.01),-0.12(P>0.01), and 0.23(P>0.01),respectively.Conclusion No strong correlation was demonstrated between the CD and the THI-CM.The same results were shown for males and female.No correlation was demonstrated between ages and cognitive distress.Correlation coefficient of cognitive distress was increased with age.The tinnitus handicaps of patients might be vulnerable to cognitive distress with ageing.

Objective To investigate residual hearing of children with sensorineural hearing loss in whom wave V was not found in ABR testing and to emphasize the importance of behavioral audiometry in determining the residual hearing.Methods Residual hearing obtained by behavioral audiometry of 101 children with SNHL was studied in relation to the absence of wave V in both click-ABR and tone burst-ABR tests.Results All children have residual hearing of different degrees at different frequencies.There appeared to be a higher percentage of lowfrequency residual hearing than middle and high frequencies.Also,the residual hearing at low frequencies appeared to be better than those in the middle and high frequencies.Average residual hearing thresholds in the right ears from 500 to 4 000 Hz were 106.81±7.13,110.00±7.90,111.78±5.22,112.06±7.08 dB HL and those in the left ears were 98.01±3.98,111.30±7.18,112.06±7.08,108.33±7.23 dB HL.Conclusion The absence of wave V in ABR does not mean total deafness.For those children with no wave V in ABR,behavioral audiometry must be conducted to determine children's behavioral hearing thresholds in order to know their residual hearing.

Objective To evaluate the extremity function of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)using short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) and a modified intracerebral hemorrhage (MICH) scale.Methods On admission, SEP was applied in the examination of 61 patients with ICH. P40 latency and the amplitude of posterior tibial nerve potentials in both the healthy and affected extremities were measured. Abnormalities were classified based on the margin of lower extremity SEP latency and the main waveform changes. MICH was measured simultaneously to prepare a prognosis. The modified Rankin scale (MRS) score was assessed 3 months after the attack as well.Results Compared with the healthy side, there were significant differences in posterior tibial nerve P40 latency and amplitude on the affected side among patients with ICH. P40 latency and MRS scores on the affected side 3 months after the attack were positively correlated. On the unaffected side, P40 amplitude and the MRS score 3 months after the attack were negatively correlated. The MICH score on admission and the MRS score 3 months after the attack were positively correlated. Based on MRS scores (MRS≥4 indicating a poor prognosis), the predictive sensitivities for a poor prognosis of SEP and the MICH scale in patients with ICH were 80.77% and 84.61% respectively, while the specificities were 62.68% and 88.57% respectively, and the accordance rates were 70.5% and 86.9% respectively. Conclusions SEP and the MICH scale are closely correlated with the prognosis for extremity function in patients with ICH.The combination of SEP with the MICH scale might be helpful in predicting the prognosis of the patients with ICH.

Purpose Central nervous system (CNS) hemangiopericytoma (HPC) is rare in clinic and prone to misdiagnosis. This paper aims to improve the diagnostic accuracy of CNS HPC by analyzing the MRI and CT features. Materials and Methods CT and MRI appearances and pathologic features of 14 cases with surgery and pathology proved CNS HPC were analyzed retrospectively. Results There were intracranial and intraspinal lesions in 12 and 2 cases respectively. 5 cases were lobular, 4 cases irregular, and 5 cases were round or oval in shapes. On CT scan, 2 intracranial lesions showed slight hyperdensity and were avidly enhanced following contrast injection. On T1WI, 11 cases showed isointensity compared with brain white matter;on T2WI, 10 cases showed isointensity compared with brain gray matter. Marked heterogeneous enhancement was shown in 7 cases. Necrosis and cystic changes were seen in 6 cases. Flow-void sign was seen in 9 cases;9 cases were attached to meninges through narrow base. Dural tail sign was observed in 4 cases. Bone erosion was seen in 4 cases. In 5 cases with DWI scan, isointensity was shown in 4 cases and slight hyperintensity in 1 case. The density and signals in 2 cervical spine lesions were uniform with homogenous enhancement;expansive bone swelling in 1 case. Conclusion CNS HPC shows hyperdensity on CT. They present equal signal compared with white matter on T1WI and equal signal compared with grey matter on T2WI, with some void signal of vessel, and isointense on diffusion weighted images. Tumor invades adjacent skull with rare dural tail sign.

Objective We undertook this study to analyze anxiety in tinnitus patients .Methods The partici‐pants were recruited from patients seeking treatment for primary tinnitus and were asked to complete self rating anx‐iety scale(SAS)and Chinese (Mandarin) tinnitus handicap inventory(THI -CM) .Results A total of 224 tinnitus patients were included in the study .The mean score of SAS was 46 ± 2 .55 .The average SAS score among different degrees of anxiety (no ,mild ,moderate ,severe) participants were 65 .63% ,20 .54% ,8 .04% ,5 .80% .The average SAS score for male and female were 46 .35 ± 12 .81 ,46 .28 ± 12 .40 ,respectively .No statistic differences were ob‐served among different genders whenever the degrees of anxiety and different ages (p>0 .01) .The mean SAS scores among young ,middle ,old age groups were 47 .72 ± 12 .80 ,44 .56 ± 12 .83 ,40 .28 ± 7 .24 ,respectively .The pearson correlation between tinnitus duration and the score of SAS was 0 .36(P=0 .594) .The pearson correlation between the scores of THI-CM and SAS was 0 .548(P<0 .01) .Conclusion Most tinnitus participants had mild or didn't have anxiety .Only 13 .84% participants have moderate or severe anxiety .Tinnitus handicap degree increased with the increase of anxiety .No anxiety difference was observed among different sex ,tinnitus duration and age groups . The anxiety of young age group was more severe than that of old groups .

Objective To explore the signal-to-noise ratio loss (SNR loss) of the people with normal pure-tone audiograms .Methods A group of 10 patients were recruited into the study ,who complained they could not hear speech clearly in the real world environment but had normal pure-tone audiograms ,immittance and word rec-ognition score (WRS) results .The Mandarin hearing in noise test (M-HINT ) was administered to them and the results were compared to the normal ranges published in the journal .Results All of them had SNR loss when noise (speech spectrum) came from front of them ,but 9 patients had SNR loss when noise came from 90 degree left or 90 degree right of them .Conclusion The current study showed the patients had speech hearing loss in the noisy envi-ronment ,regardless of whether they had normal audiograms ,immittance and WRS results .So we should pay atten-tion to such patients and adopt some special tests (eg M-HINT) .It is better for us to communicate and counsel with them .

AIM:To bring forward a method of determining aflatoxin G_2、G_1、B_2、B_1 in six kinds of traditional Chinese drugs by HPLC.METHODS:After being extracted by 70% methanol,purified by immunoaffinity column,aflatoxins were analysed by HPLC with fluorescence detection.RESULTS:Aflatoxin G_2、B_2 showed a good linear relationship at a range of 1.5-60pg,and Aflatoxin G_1、B_1 at a range of 5-200 pg,r＞0.999 9.The recovery was between 60%-120%.CONCLUSION:The method is simple,accurate and can be used to determine aflatoxin G_2、G_1、B_2、B_1 in Naoliqing Pill,Renshen Yangrong Pill,Rensen Jiapi Pill,Sanqi Tablet,Jinshuibao Capsule and Bailine Capsule.