Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo record the electrical activities of Antirior cingulate cortex (ACC) neurons by in vivo multi-channel recording methods using the model of complete freund's adjuvant (CFA) induced conditioned place avoidance (C-CPA), which has been set up in our previous studies.

METHODSThe electrode was self-made and the CPA responses were recorded by in vivo multi-channel recording method.

RESULTS(1) The electrical activities of ACC neurons could be successfully recorded by the self-made electrode. (2) Before or after the injection of CFA, rats were respectively conditioned to the different place. The firing rates of ACC neurons in the CFA-paired place vs that in the non-CFA-paired place was (0.853 ± 1.377) imp/s vs (0.221 ± 0.971) imp/s (P < 0.05, n = 26). (3) The CPA responses in the CFA-paired place vs that in the non-CFA-paired place were (303.55 ± 61.77)s vs (140.32 ± 33.52)s(P < 0.05, n = 6).

CONCLUSIONThe firing rates of rACC (rostral Anterior Cingulate Cortex) neurons were involved in the occurrence of the affective pain.

Animals ; Electrodes ; Freund's Adjuvant ; Gyrus Cinguli ; cytology ; Neurons ; cytology ; Pain ; diagnosis ; Pain Measurement ; methods ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To explore the effects of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the hyperoxia-induced lung injury in premature rats. Methods Forty-eight premature Wistar rats were randomized into two groups 12 hours after birth:hyperoxia group (n=24) inhaled 95%oxygen and control group (n=24) inhaled air. Eight rats were sacriifced in each group on day 1, 3, 7 after the treatment and the left lungs were embedded. The pathological changes in the HE stained sections of lung tissues were observed. The expressions of ER related protein ERp57 and c/EBP homologous protein CHOP were detected by immuno histo-chemistry and the apoptosis of lung cells was detected by TUNEL analysis. Results The typical pathological characteristics of acute lung injury were observed in hyperoxia group. The expressions of ERp57 and CHOP were increased with the exposure time in hyperoxia group, and were signiifcantly higher than in control group (P<0.05). The apoptosis rate of lung cells in hyperoxia group was signiifcantly higher than in control group (P<0.01). There was signiifcant positive correlation between cell apoptosis index and expressions of Erp57 and c/EBP homogeneous protein. Conclusions ER stress initiated apoptosis participates and plays an important role in the process of hyperoxia-induced lung injury in premature rats.

BACKGROUNDImpaired exercise capacity is one of the most common clinical manifestations in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). The severity of reduced exercise capacity is an indicator of disease prognosis. The aim of the current study was to investigate the association between left heart size and mass with exercise capacity.

METHODSA total of 74 patients were enrolled in the study, with 37 having congestive heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 0.45) and the other 37 with coronary heart disease (by coronary angiography) serving as the control group (LVEF > 0.55). Echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise test were performed. The multiply linear regression model was used to evaluate the association between echocardiogrphic indices and exercise capacities.

RESULTSThe study showed that left ventricular end diastolic/systolic diameter (LVEDD/LVESD), left atrial diameter (LAD) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were significantly enlarged in patients with chronic heart failure compared with controls (P < 0.01). The VO(2)AT, Peak VO(2), Load AT, and Load Peak in chronic heart failure patients were also significantly reduced compared with controls (P < 0.05), VE/VCO(2) slope was increased in patients with chronic heart failure (P < 0.01). Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that the patients' exercise capacity was significantly associated with the left heart size and mass, however, the direction and/or strength of the associations sometimes varied in chronic heart failure patients and controls. Load AT correlated negatively with LVEDD in chronic heart failure patients (P = 0.012), while Load AT correlated positively with LVEDD in control patients (P = 0.006). VE/VCO(2) slope correlated positively with LAD (B = 0.477, P < 0.0001) in chronic heart failure patients, while the VE/VCO(2) slope correlated negatively with LAD in control patients (P = 0.009).

CONCLUSIONThe study indicates that the size of LVEDD and LAD are important determinants of exercise capacity in patients with CHF, which may be helpful to identify exercise tolerance for routine monitoring of systolic heart failure.

Aged ; Cardiac Volume ; physiology ; Echocardiography ; Exercise Test ; Exercise Tolerance ; physiology ; Female ; Heart Failure ; physiopathology ; Heart Ventricles ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography

OBJECTIVE: To develop a rapid and simple immunoassay to detect antibodies in the sera of patients infect Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum). METHODS: Soluble egg antigen (SEA) of S. japonicum conjugated with colloidal carbon in advance was used to react with the antibodies in the sera of patients with schistosomiasis. Then the carbon-antigen-antibody complex would be captured by SEA which had been absorbed on the nitrocellulose membrane and a gray band was shown. RESULTS: A total of 137 sera samples from S. japonicum epidemic area were tested, and the consistency, sensitivity, and specificity of colloidal carbon dipstick assay were 98.54%, 98.99%, and 97.37%, respectively, compared with the IHA method. The gray scale of bands on the dipstick was curvilinear to serum titer which revealed that the assay could be used semi-quantitatively in serum analysis. CONCLUSION Colloidal carbon dipstick assay is not only rapid and simple, but also sensitive and specific for the detection of serum antibodies of schistosomiasis japonica. It will be a practical immunological assay for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis in the field testing.
Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth ; blood ; Carbon ; chemistry ; Colloids ; chemistry ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; methods ; Schistosoma japonicum ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Schistosomiasis japonica ; blood ; diagnosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Objective To observe the effect ofmitochondrial division inhibitor (Mdivi-1) on the neuronal apoptosis via mitochondria signaling pathways in rats after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and its possible mechanism.Methods Sixty male adult healthy Wistar rats were chosen and randomly divided into sham-operated group,vehicle group and Mdivi-1 pre-conditioning group (n=20); animal models of middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion in the later 2 groups were established by a filament method in the left extemal-internal carotid artery.Rats were injected with 1.2 mg/kg Mdivi-1 in the Mdivi-1 pre-conditioning group and dimethyl sulfoxide in the vehicle group 15 minutes before the cerebral ischemia.After 24 h of reperfusion,apoptotic cell death was assessed by TUNEL staining,the cytochrome C expression (Cyt C) was detected by SABC immunohistochemical staining,the protein level of Cyt C in the cerebral issues was detected by Western blotting and the mRNA expression was measured by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results The apoptosis rate (45.49％±0.77％),Cyt C positive cell rate (55.12％±1.47％) and protein and mRNA expressions of Cyt C (0.932 ±0.001,0.789±0.009) in the vehicle group were significantly higher that in the sham-operated group (4.16％±0.25％,4.22％±0.20％,0.395±0.002,0.467±0.003,P＜0.05).The apoptosis rate (45.49％±0.77％),Cyt C positive cell rate (55.12％±1.47％) and protein and mRNA expressions of Cyt C (0.594±0.002,0.523±0.004) in the Mdivi-1 pre-conditioning group were significantly decreased as compared with those in the vehicle group (P＜0.05).Conclusion Mitochondrial division inhibitor Mdivi-1 might reduce neuronal apoptosis by inhibiting mitochondria cytochrome C apoptotic pathway to protect cerebral against ischemia/ reperfusion injury.

Adenocarcinoma ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma in Situ ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; pathology ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; pathology ; Cervix Uteri ; pathology ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Uterine Cervical Dysplasia ; pathology ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; pathology ; Vaginal Smears ; classification ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDThere is no research, either at home or abroad, focusing on assessing the cardiopulmonary functional reserve and exercise tolerance in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE), but the benefits of early exercise are well recognized. The goals of this study were to assess cardiopulmonary functional reserve in treated PE patients using the inert gas rebreathing method of the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), and to compare it with traditional methods.

METHODSCPET on the bicycle ergometer were performed in 40 patients with age, gender, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and pulmonary function matched. The first group was the PE group composed of 16 PE patients (5 male, 11 female) who were given the standard antithrombotic therapy for two weeks. The second group was composed of 24 normal individuals (10 male, 14 female). Both groups were evaluated by cardiac ultrasound examination, 6-minute walking test (6MWT), and CPET.

RESULTS(1) Right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) in the PE group increased significantly compared to the control group, (34.81 ± 8.15) mmHg to (19.75 ± 3.47) mmHg (P < 0.01). But neither right atrial end-systolic diameter (RASD) nor right ventricular end-diastolic diameter (RVDD) in the PE patients had changed when compared with the controls. The 6-minute walk distance was significantly reduced in the PE patients compared with normal subjects, (447.81 ± 79.20) m vs. (513.75 ± 31.45) m (P < 0.01). Both anaerobic threshold oxygen consumption (VO(2)AT) and peak oxygen consumption (VO(2)peak) were significantly lower in patients with PE, while CO(2) equivalent ventilation (VE/VCO(2) slope) was higher; VO(2)AT (9.44 ± 3.82) ml×kg(-1)×min(-1) vs. (14.62 ± 2.93) ml×kg(-1)×min(-1) (P < 0.01) and VO2peak (12.26 ± 4.06) ml×kg(-1)×min(-1) vs. (23.46 ± 6.15) ml×kg(-1)×min(-1) (P < 0.01) and VE/VCO(2) slope 35.47 ± 6.66 vs. 26.94 ± 3.16 (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in resting cardiac output (CO) between the PE and normal groups, whereas peak cardiac output (peak CO) and the difference between exercise and resting cardiac output (ΔCO) were both significantly reduced in the PE group; peak CO (5.97 ± 2.25) L/min to (8.50 ± 3.13) L/min (P < 0.01), ΔCO (1.29 ± 1.59) L/min to (3.97 ± 2.02) L/min (P < 0.01). (2) The 6-minute walk distance did not correlated with CPET except for the VO2 peak in patients with PE, r = 0.675 (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe cardiopulmonary functional reserve was reduced in patients with PE. CPET is an accurate, quantitative evaluation of cardiopulmonary functional reserve for PE patients.

Aged ; Exercise Test ; methods ; Exercise Tolerance ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen Consumption ; physiology ; Pulmonary Embolism ; physiopathology ; therapy

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of leflunomide (LEF) combined with medium/low dose corticosteroids and full dose of corticosteroids in the treatment of IgA nephropathy. Method Primary IgAN patients diagnosed by renal biopsy with 18?65 years old and eGFR≥30 ml·min?1·(1.73 m2)?1 and proteinuria>0.5 g/24 h were enrolled in a prospective controlled clinical study. They were randomly divided into leflunomide combined with medium/low dose corticosteroids (LEF group) and corticosteroids alone (steroid group). The primary outcomes were (1) end stage renal disease or dialysis (2) 50% increase in serum creatinine above the baseline. Secondary outcome was the remission of proteinuria. Results Ninety patients completed the follow?up. The 24?hour proteinuria at baseline were 2.00(1.10, 2.88) g and 1.87(1.13 ,3.08) g in LEF group and steroid group respectively. Compared with baseline, it was significantly decreased in both groups at 6 months [0.30(0.11, 0.93) g, 0.30(0.14, 1.33) g] and 12 months [0.30(0.09, 0.82) g, 0.32(0.14, 0.66) g], (P<0.05). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at baseline, 6 months and 12 months were (80.39 ± 28.56), (87.12±28.70) and (88.20±30.26) ml·min-1·(1.73 m2)-1. It was decreased in steroid group (P<0.05), while no significant difference was detected in LEF group[baseline (87.63 ± 27.35), 6 months (86.91 ± 32.45), 12 months (90.06 ± 30.00) ml·min-1·(1.73 m2)-1, P>0.05]. At 6 and 12 months, there was no significant difference in terms of 24?hour proteinuria, serum creatinine and eGFR (CKD?EPI) between groups (P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in adverse events between groups during the treatment (9/40 cases in LEF group and 11/50 cases in steroid group, P>0.05). The average follow?up was 79 months, and there was no difference in the renal prognosis between the two groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that serum creatinine at baseline and renal interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration predicted the risk of the progress of IgA nephropathy. Conclusion Leflunomide plus medium/low dose corticosteroids has a similar effect as full dose of corticosteroids in IgA nephropathy and does not increase the risk for adverse events during the treatment.

Objective To compare the complications and outcomes of urgent?start peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD) in end?stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, and explore the safety and effectiveness of PD which was as an urgent?start dialysis modality in ESRD patients. Methods All patients for urgent?start dialysis, who initiated dialysis without a long?term dialysis access or had the long?term dialysis access under 30 days in Renji Hospital from January 1st 2013 to December 31st 2014, were enrolled. According to the dialysis modalities, patients were divided into PD group and HD group. Participants were followed up until death, transferred to other centers, lost of follow up or January 1st 2016. Dialysis?related complications within 30 days of implantation, complications of reimplantation and the occurrence of bacteremia between two groups were compared, and their survival rates were tested by Kaplan?Meier curves. Results Among 178 patients in this study, there were 96 (53.9%) patients in PD group and 82 (46.1%) patients in HD group. Compared with those of HD group, patients of PD group presented more cardiovascular disease [21(21.9%) vs 8(9.8%), P=0.029], higher serum potassium [(4.5±0.8) mmol/L vs (4.3±0.8) mmol/L, P=0.038], but less heart failure (NYHA Ⅲ?Ⅳ) [26(30.2%) vs 40 (48.8%), P=0.014], lower brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) [328.5 (129.5, 776.8) ng/L vs 503.5(206.0, 1430.0) ng/L, P=0.008], higher hemoglobin [(81.5 ± 17.7) g/L vs (75.3 ± 22.5) g/L, P=0.039], higher serum albumin (33.5±5.7) g/L vs (31.3±6.7) g/L, P=0.022] and higher serum pre?albumin (304.5±78.0) mg/L vs (257.0 ± 86.1) mg/L, P<0.001]. PD group presented less dialysis?related complications [5 (5.2%) vs 20(24.4%), P<0.001], less dialysis?related complications requiring reimplantation [1(1.0%) vs 20(24.4%), P<0.001] and less bacteraemia [3(3.1%) vs 11(13.4%), P=0.011]. The 3?, 6?and 12?month patient survival rates of PD and HD group were 97.9% vs 98.4%, 97.9% vs 98.4%, and 92.1%vs 93.0% respectively, and no significant difference was found (Log ? rank=0.004, P=0.947). Conclusions Patients with urgent?start PD have less complications within 30 days of implantation and occurrence of bacteremia than patients with urgent?start HD, and the same survival rates. PD may be a feasible and safe urgent?start dialysis modality for ESRD patients.