Objective To observe effect of astragalus injection on levels of blood selenium,T cell immunity function and cytokines with viral myocarditis in children. Methods Fourty two patients with viral myocarditis in children, receiving the therapy of Astragalus injection Observing the levels of blood selenium and cytokine, including interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-?),and including estimation of T lymphocyte subsets and cardiac function too. Results The result showed that in post-treatment, the levels of blood selenium were significantly higher (P

Aged ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Heparin ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Male ; Thrombocytopenia ; chemically induced

Characteristics and measurement principles of reference methods in clinical biochemistry were described.Implementation of reference systems is one of the most effective approaches to improve the accuracy and comparability of clinical laboratory test results.Reference methods are the key components of reference systems.Reference methods should have measurement uncertainties that meet the requirements of the intended use,and thus should be based on reliable measurement principles.For the well-defined biochemistry analytes,reference methods have been almost all based on instrumental analysis.Isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ID/MS) is considered most reliable and has been the major analytical principle of the reference methods.ID/MS analysis is accurate but expensive.Use of other validated instrumental analyses as reference measurement principles would be justified.

Objective To explore the changes of plasma brain natriuretic peptide(BNP) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)of sepsis combined with myocardial injury in newborns.Methods According to neonatal sepsis treatment program,45 cases of sepsis newborns in NICU of the Second Hospital in Lanzhou University from Jul.2007 to Jun.2008 were collected.According to the myocardial injury diagnostic criteria,45 cases neonatal sepsis were divided into myocardial injury group(n=22) and non-myocardial injury group(n=23).Myocardial injury group was also divided into congenital heart disease group and non-congenital heart disease group accor-ding to echocardiography.At the same time,30 healthy newborns were collected as healthy control group.Every newborns were tested the level of plasma BNP,NT-proBNP,creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB) and cardiac-troponin I (cTnI).Results There were significant difference between myocardial injury group,non-myocardial injury group and healthy control group in the levels of plasma BNP,NT-proBNP,CK-MB and cTnI,those in congenital heart disease group were higher than those in non-myocardial injury group and the healthy control group(Pa0.05).Conclusions BNP and NT-proBNP can be early used to diagnose myocardial injury and heart failure of neonatal sepsis associated with CK-MB and cTnI.In NICU,infants with sepsis should normally test BNP and NT-proBNP in order to early diagnose myocardial injury of neonatal sepsis.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of urethral reconstruction with colonic mucosa graft in the treatment of complex long urethral stricture.Methods The clinical data of three cases with complex long urethral stricture were reported and analyzed.Patient ages were 71,64 and 48 yrs and the course of disease was three months,six months and six yrs,respectively.The length of urethral stricture was 13,18 and 12 cm.Removing the narrow urethral segment and intercepting the length from 12 to 18 cm sigmoid colon and stripping colonic mucosa were performed.Urethral reconstruction was done with a free graft of colonic mucosa.Follow-up included urethrography,uroflowmetry,and urethroscopy.Results The urethral reconstructions were completed successfully.The urinary peak flows of the patients were 16.7 ml/s,19.6 ml/s and 26.4 ml/s at six weeks post operation.Urethrography revealed the graft urethral lumens were bulky three months after the operation.In urethroscopy,the colonic mucosa was found to be of good color and the anastomotic site healed well.Patients were followed-up 28,16,and three months,respectively,and were all voiding well.Conclusions Colonic mucosa graft urethroplasty is a feasible procedure for the treatment of complex long urethral stricture.

This paper introduces the design of a device which combines the waves with notes from standard MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database to generate a signal source. The device displays both waves and notes on LCD while the waves are being output, making things convenient for testing and observation. In addition, this generator includes some necessary test signals stated in our new National Industry Standard on Medical Instrumentation as well.
Algorithms ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; physiopathology ; Databases as Topic ; Databases, Factual ; Electrocardiography ; statistics & numerical data ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; instrumentation

AIMTo study the influence of crocetin on cardiac hypertrophy induced by overloading pressure in rats.

METHODSThe model of cardiac hypertrophy was produced by overloading pressure in rats. The animals were divided into five groups: sham-operation group (0.5% CMC-Na, ig), model group (operation + 0.5% CMC-Na, ig), captopril group (operation + 50 mg x kg(-1), ig), crocetin I (100 mg x kg(-1), ig) and crocetin II (50 mg x kg(-1), ig). All animals were treated for 30 d by ig. Then, cardiac indexes were examined. The activity of ATPase and the hydroxyproline content in heart were assayed by colorimetric analysis. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) activity was assayed by SDS-PAGE zymography.

RESULTSCompared with the model group, crocetin was found to significantly reduce the cardiac indexes and the content of hydroxyproline in heart, increase the activity of Na+ , K+ -ATPase, Ca2+, Mg2+ -ATPase and inhibit MMPs activity.

CONCLUSIONThe activity of MMPs may play a key role in the cardiac hypertrophy induced by overloading pressure, and proprably as a result of decreasing the activity of MMPs. Crocetin was shown to prevent remodeling of cardiac hypertrophy induced by overloading pressure.

Animals ; Ca(2+) Mg(2+)-ATPase ; metabolism ; Cardiomegaly ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Carotenoids ; pharmacology ; Hydroxyproline ; metabolism ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Myocardium ; enzymology ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the trend of antimicrobial resistance and the prevalence of resistant genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from Hangzhou First People's Hospital.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibilities of 1489 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from 2003 to 2007 were statistically analyzed using WHONET.MICs of 11 antimicrobisis to 36 multi-drug-resistant Pseudomonas aerugionosa strains were determined by agar dilution method.Genes of β-lactamases(BLA)and aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes(AMEs)were detected by PCR and the PCR products were sequenced.Results The resistant rates to aztreonam,imipenem,ceftazidime,cefepime,piperacillin,piperacillin/tazobactam.cefoperazone/sulbactam,ciprofloxacin,levofloxacin,gentamicin and amikacin were increased from 13.4%,10.6%,8.7%,7.9%,12.7%,12.7%,6.7%, 15.8%,20.5%,24.7% and 10.9%in 2003 to 35.3%,40.9%,18.4%, 32.4%,32.9%,32.0%,21.9%,37.8%,38.6%, 39.4% and 34.8% in 2007.respectively.Hish MICs of 11 antimicrobiMs for multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aerouginosa were determined with MIC90≥128 μg/mL.In 36 multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains,21(58.3%)strains carried β-lactamase genes and 32 strains(88.9%)carried aminoglycosidemodifying enzyme genes,while the deletion rate of oprD2 was 80.6%(29/36).Conclusions The resistant rates to common antibiotics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa have increased.resulting in multi-drug resistance.Genes of β-lactamases and aminoglycoside-medifying enzymes are prevalent in multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains,with the common deletion of oprD2.

Objective To explore the distribution rule of metastatic lymph node in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods 315 histopathologically proved NPC patients were studied retrospectively.All patients had had their nasopharynx scanned by MRI with plain and contrast enhanced sequences.The distribution of lymph node was divided into six cervical levels plus retro- pharyngeal nodes(RN) according to RTOG guidelines proposed in 2003.Results 254 out of 315 patients (80.6%) had lymph node involvement,with 81 in the right neck alone,72 left neck alone,and 101 both necks;73 in RN alone,21 neck node alone,and 160 both necks and RN node.Skip metastasis was found in only 4 patients (1.6%).There was significant difference in BN metastasis between the primary tumor be- ing located merely on the superior/posterior wall and lateral wall (78% vs 49%,P＜0.01).The incidence of lymph node metastasis in T1,T2,T3 and T4 patients was 73.5%,91.2%,71.9%,73.5% (P＞0.05), respectively,without significant difference between early or advanced T stage in node distribution (P＞0.05).Conclusions The incidence of lymph node metastasis is high in nasopharyngeal carcinoma,with retropharyngeal node being the most commonly involved,but the incidence of skip metastasis is very low. There is no significant difference between T stage and the incidence of lymph node metastasis.So is the dis- tribution of metastatic node.

Objective To observe the expression of Na+/I- symporter(NIS) in cultured lactating mammary cells with different levels of iodine and the effect of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α). Methods Original generation of mouse lactating mammary cells cultured in vitro were divided into low iodine group Ⅰ (LI-Ⅰ), low iodine group Ⅱ (LI-Ⅱ), adequate iodine group(AI), high iodine group Ⅰ(HI-Ⅰ), and high iodine group Ⅱ(HI-Ⅱ). Cells were cultured in DEME/F12 culture medium for 24 h with different concentrations of iodine (0,5,50,3000 and 10 000 μg/L, respectively), and TNF-α( 10-2 mg/L) was added to some of cultured cells for 24 h. The expression of NIS mRNA of lactating mammary cells was determined by real-time quantitative PCR and the expression of NIS protein was detected by In-Cell Western. Results In iodine alone group, the expression of NIS mRNA in LI-Ⅰ group [ (64.66 ± 14.99) x 10-4] was higher than that of AI group[ (22.76 ± 7.36) × 10-4, P ＜ 0.01 ]; HI-I group[ (10.18 ±3.53) × 10-4] and HI-Ⅱ group[ (8.59 ± 2.89) × 10-4] were lower than that of AI group(all P ＜ .0.05); With increased iodine concentration, the expression of NIS mRNA decreased. The expression of NIS mRNA in LI-Ⅰ group [(2.72 ± 0.45) × 10-4], LI-Ⅱ group[ (2.69 ± 0.68) × 10-4] and AI group[(1.80 ± 0.67) × 10-4] with iodine plus TNF-o were all lower than that of LI-Ⅰ group, LI-Ⅱ group[ (29.82 ± 4.47 ) × 10-4], and AI group without TNF-α (all P ＜ 0.01). In iodine plus TNF-α, the expression of NIS mRNA in HI-Ⅰ group[(6.58 ± 2.87) × 10-4] and HI-Ⅱ[(7.04 ± 1.36) × 10-4] group were all higher than that of AI group(all P ＜ 0.05); With increased iodine deficiency or iodine excess, the expression of NIS mRNA increased. With increased iodine concentration, the expression of NIS protein decreased in iodine alone group. The expression of NIS protein in iodine plus TNF-α was all lower than that in iodine alone group. In iodine plus TNF-α, the expression of NIS protein increased in both iodine deficiency and iodine excess conditions. Conclusions Iodine may decrease the expression of NIS mRNA and protein of lactating mammary cells. The expression of NIS mRNA and protein of lactating mammary cells was inhibited by TNF-α under different levels of iodine.