Objective To study the change of B-cell function after reduction in plasma free fatty acid(FFA)concentration.Methods All 38 normoglycemic first-degree relatives of type 2 diabetes received a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT),before and after acipimox,250 mg orally tid for 5 days.Results Acipimox significantly reduced fasting plasma FFA,HOMA-IR,the incremental glucose area under the curve(AUCg)and the incremental FFA area under the curve(AUCf)during OGTT(P0.05).The increment in ?I30/?G30、?I30??G30-1?HOMA-IR-1 correlated negatively with the decrement in fasting FFA,AUCf(r=-0.39~-0.49,P

Objective To show the feasibility and value in the diagnosis of airway obstruction and pulmonary embolism with MR oxygen-enhanced ventilation combined with pulmonary perfusion imaging. Methods Eight canines were implemented for peripheral pulmonary embolism by intravenous injection of gelfoam granules at pulmonary segmental arterial level, and five of them were formed airway obstruction models by inserting self-made balloon catheter at second-bronchia. The oxygen-enhanced MR ventilation imaging was introduced by subtracting the images of pre- and post- inhaled pure oxygen. The MR pulmonary perfusion imaging was achieved by the first-pass contrast agent method. Moreover, the manifestation of MR ventilation and perfusion imaging was observed and contradistinguished with that of general pathologic anatomy, ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy, and pulmonary angiography. Results The manifestations of airway obstruction regions in MR ventilation and perfusion imaging were matched, but those of pulmonary embolism regions were dismatched. The defect range of airway obstruction in MR ventilation image was smaller than that in ventilation scintigraphy. The abnormal perfusion regions of pulmonary embolism were divided into defect regions and reduce regions based on the time courses of signal intensity changes. The sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis on pulmonary embolism by MR ventilation combined with perfusion technique were 75.0% and 98.1%. The diagnostic results were in good coherence with ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy and pulmonary angiography(K=0.743, 0.899). Conclusion The MR oxygen-enhanced ventilation combined with pulmonary perfusion imaging can be used to diagnose the airway and vascular abnormity in lung. This technique resembles the ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy. It can provide quantitative functional information and better spatial and temporal resolution, and possesses the value of clinical application.

Objective To study the relationships between serum intedeukin-18(IL-18)and resistin for predicting intraamniotic infection.Method Serum levels of IL-18 and resistin were measured in 43 pregnant women with intraamniotic infection (infection group)and 40 normal pregnant women(control group).Results The level of IL-18 in infection group[(38.7±10.4)μg/L]was higher than that in control group [(23.5±5.6)μg/L],there was significant difference between two groups (P＜0.01).The level of resistin in infection group[(24.84±5.32)μg/L]was higher than that in control group[(17.3±5.15) μg/L],there was significant difference between two groups(P＜0.01).The levels of resistin and IL-18 were correlated in pregnant women with intraamniotic infection(r=0.61,P＜0.01).Conclusion Detecting the levels of IL-18 and resistin in pregnant women can identify intramnniotic infection.

Objective To study the relationships between cognitive impairment in patients with lacunar infarcts and quantitative CT measures and to determine the independent correlative factors of cognitive impairment. Methods Neuropsychological examination was conducted for 128 patients with acute lacunar infarct. Number, location, and volume of infarcts, cerebral atrophy index and severity of white matter lesions (WMLs) were measured and recorded. Results The number of lacunar infarcts in cognitive impairment (CI) group was significantly larger than that in cognitive normal (CN) group. Mean width of sulcus and sylvian fissure, index of frontal horn and ventricular-brain ratio (VBR) were significantly different in both groups. There were more patients with 3 grades or 4 grades WMLs in CI group (62%) than those in CN group (22%). The total volume of lacunar infarcts showed no statistically significant difference. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the number of lacunar infarcts in frontal subcortex and thalamus, the volume of infarcts in anterior periventricular white matter, width of cerebral sulcus and sylvian fissure were correlated with cognitive impairment respectively. Additionally, age and education were correlative factors of cognitive impairment in patients with lacunar infarct. Conclusion Correlative factors of cognitive impairment in patients with lacunar infarct are not merely one feature, but a combination of infarct features (number, location, and volume), cortical atrophy and host factors (age and education).

Objective To study the normal anatomy and pathologic CT findings of HDL and compare the HDL dimension of two conditions.Methods 160 consecutive CT scans of the normal upper abdomen were reviewed and 19 cases of cadavers were used.Results There was no statistics differences between the cadavers and normal subjects on HDL.Conclusion The real dimension of HDL can be replaced by the measurement on CT image,CT is a accurate means of measuring HDL in vival of human being.

Objective To select the proper enhanced methods of histogram egualization for the medical digital image. Methods By means of the full-frame histogram equalization(FFHE),local-area histogram equalization(LAHE) and adaptive-meighborhood histogram equalization(ANHE),medical digital images were enhanced,and the characteristics of these three methods were compared. Results Through the gray-level histogram equalization,the detail and the edge of medical digital images could be enhanced. Conclusion Toenhance the detail of local issue,it is better to use ANHE method.To enhance the edge of full image,which the full information must been taken into account,it is better to use FFHE method.

To explore the relationship and possible mechanism of reproductive function of bisphenol A (BPA) with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Serum specimens were collected from 43 PCOS patients and 37 healthy women.And the level of BPA was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The serum level of BPA in PCOS were significantly higher than that in the control group.And the inter-group difference was significant (P ＜ 0.05).The patient level of BPA was positively related with obesity and basic luteinizing hormone (LH) (P ＜ 0.05).In the PCOS group,no significant correlation existed between hyperandrogenemia and non-hyperandrogenemia (P ＞ 0.05).Although no difference existed between insulin and non-insulin resistance,the level of BPA in insulin resistance group was lower than in non-insulin resistance group.A higher level of BPA may be associated with obesity and basic LH in PCOS.

Objective To investigate the oxidative stress status and cardiac myocyte apoptosis in rats with propylthiouracil-induced hypothyroidism and to examine the effect of levothyroxine ( LT4 ),vitamin E ( VitE ),and both supplementation on this experimental model.Methods Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into normal control group( NC),propylthiouracil group( PTU ),LT4 treatment group( PTU + LT4 ),VitE treatment group ( PTU +VitE),LT4 and VitE combination therapy group (PTU + LT4 + VitE).Serum T3,T4,TSH levels,serum and myocardial superoxide dismutase ( SOD ) activity and malondialdehyde ( MDA ) content were determined.Cardiac myocyte apoptotic index was made with TUNEL.Results ( 1 ) Compared with NC group,T3 and T4 levels were significantly lower and TSH level was significantly higher in PTU group and PTU+VitE groups( P＜0.05 ).Compared with PTU group,T3 and T4 levels were significantly higher and TSH level was significantly lower in PTU + LT4 group and PTU + LT4 + VitE group( P＜0.05 ).There were no statistical differences in T3,T4,and TSH levels between PTU group and PTU + VitE group( P＞0.05 ).( 2 ) Compared to NC group,serum and myocardial MDA levels in PTU group increased significantly( P＜0.05 ),serum SOD activity decreased significantly ( P＜0.05 ),while myocardial SOD activity showed no significant difference( P＞0.05 ).( 3 ) Compared with NC group,myocardial apoptosis index was significantly higher in PTU and PTU + VitE groups( P＜0.05 ).Compared with PTU group,myocardial apoptosis index was significantly lower in PTU + LT4 group and PTU + LT4 + VitE group( P＜0.05 ).Conclusion LT4,VitE,and their combined treatment of hypothyroidism in rats reduce the myocardial cells apoptosis,which may be related to the improvement of thyroid function and amelioration of oxidative stress.

Objective To compare the blood flow characteristics of the proximal pulmonary arteries in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) by 3.0T PC-MRI. Methods Twenty seven patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (7 IPAH patients and 20 CTEPH patients) were prospectively included. Twenty healthy volunteers were enrolled as the control group. All subjects underwent PC-MRI. PC-MRI derived parameters included peak, mean velocity and mean flow of main pulmonary artery (MPA), left/right pulmonary artery (LPA/RPA), left/right interlobar pulmonary artery (LIPA/RIPA). Right heart catheterization was performed in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. The parameters among CTEPH, IPAH group and control group were compared by one way analysis of variance. Results There were significant differences for peak velocity, mean velocity and mean flow among CTEPH, IPAH group and control group (F=4.13—102.81, all P<0.05). There was significant difference for peak velocity in RPA between CTEPH[(32.0 ± 7.8)cm/s] and IPAH group[(50.0±15.0)cm/s]. There was no difference for mean velocity between CTEPH and IPAH group. The mean flow between CTEPH and IPAH group was statistically different[MPA: (74.3 ± 20.8) ml/s versus (61.3±16.7) ml/s, LPA:(29.3±12.7) ml/s versus (23.2±11.2) ml/s, RPA:(43.5±17.4) ml/s versus (56.8±13.5) ml/s, LIPA: (19.2 ± 8.0) ml/s versus (12.1 ± 5.8) ml/s, all P<0.05]. Conclusion There is significantly different characteristics for the hemodynamics of the proximal pulmonary arteries between CTEPH group and IPAH group. 3.0T PC-MRI may effectively detect the pulmonary hemodynamic changes.

Objective To assess the overall diagnostic value of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism with the pulmonary angiography as the gold standard.Methods A search in Cochrane Library,PubMed,OVID,and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) was performed to identify relevant English and Chinese-language articles from 01/01/1992 to 01/01/2003 (English) and from 01/01/1994 to 01/01/2003 (Chinese),respectively.Criteria for inclusion were established based on validity criteria for diagnostic research published by the Cochrane Methods Group on Screening and Diagnostic Tests.Subsequently,the characteristics of the included articles were appraised and extracted.Statistical analysis was performed employing Meta-Test version 0.9.Heterogeneity of the included articles was tested,which was used to select proper effect model to calculate pooled weighted sensitivity and specificity.Summary Receiver Operating Characteristic (SROC) curve was performed and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated.Finally,sensitivity analysis was performed.Results Ten of 407 retrieved articles were included,with a total of 855 patients.The reported sensitivity of CTPA ranged from 0.57 to 1.00,and specificity ranged from 0.78 to 1.00.The pooled weighted sensitivity and specificity for CTPA with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) after correction for standard error were 0.84 (0.73,0.91) and 0.91 (0.87,0.94),respectively.The AUC of SROC was 94.95%. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated no disproportionate influences of individual study.Conclusion CTPA has a highly accurate sensitivity and specificity with a strong ROC curve making it an alternative non-invasive method of pulmonary angiography in the diagnosis of PE.