Objective To explore the clinical value of real time contrast-enhanced ultrasound in diagnosis of liver localized fatty deletion and fatty infiltration which couldn't be confirmed by conventional ultrasonography. Methods Contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed on 94 patients with liver localized diseases confirmed by baseline sonography, among them 34 patients with liver localized fatty deletion and fatty infiltration were enrolled. Results Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography didn't show apparent occupancy nidus in 34 patients. Enhancement mode of lesions was the same as liver parenchyma, which was distinctly different from liver occupancy diseases. Conclusion Real time contrast-enhanced ultrasound can display typical signs of liver localized fatty deletion and fatty infiltration and has significant value in diagnosis and differentiating diagnosis of them.

OBJECTIVEEndothelial apoptosis plays an important role in the initiation of atherosclerosis. It would be useful to clarify whether activation of non-neuronal muscarinic receptor (NNMR) could prevent endothelial apoptosis and atherosclerosis. We investigated the effects of NNMR activation on regulating rat aortic endothelial cells (RAECs) apoptosis induced by homocysteine, an independent risk factor of atherosclerosis, and further studied its molecular mechanism.

METHODSRAECs were incubated using homocysteine at the concentration of 2.7 mmol/L for 36 h. RAECs were also pre-treated with carbachol or arecoline to examine their effects. RT-PCR was used to assess changes in the gene expression related to cell apoptosis.

RESULTSIncubation of RAECs with homocysteine at the concentration of 2.7 mmol/L resulted in morphologic changes, such as cellular shrinkage, membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation and margination. These could be attenuated by pretreatment with carbachol and arecoline at the concentration of 10 micromol/L for 12 h. Homocysteine induced apoptosis in RAECs and the molecular mechanisms were associated with the regulation of fas, fas-L and caspase-8 in the death receptor pathway, bcl-2, bcl-xL and bax in the mitochondrial pathway, caspase-12 in the endoplasmic reticulum pathway and caspase-3, caspase-6 and p53 as downstream effectors. Carbachol and arecoline attenuated the effects of homocysteine on genes in the death receptor pathway, in the mitochondrial pathway and in the downstream pathway. Atropine could reverse all of the effects of arecoline.

CONCLUSIONActivation of NNMR by carbacol and arecoline inhibits homocysteine-induced endothelial cell apoptosis mainly through regulation of death receptor pathway, mitochondrial pathway and downstream effectors.

Animals ; Aorta ; cytology ; Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; metabolism ; Arecoline ; Carbachol ; Cell Cycle ; Endoplasmic Reticulum ; metabolism ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Homocysteine ; adverse effects ; Mitochondria ; metabolism ; Rats ; Receptors, Muscarinic ; metabolism

Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Solvents ; analysis

OBJECTIVE To get knowledge of the drugs resistance change of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in intensive care unit (ICU) from 2001 to 2006, so as to offer the first-hand information to the clinical preventive and therapeutic countermeasures. METHODS The P. aeruginosa antimicrobial susceptibility tests to 15 commonly used antibiotics were performed from 2001 to 2006. RESULTS The most frequent isolates were P. aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii in 2001-2004. Staphylococcus aureus was more than A. baumannii in 2006, and became the major isolated pathogen in the sputum of the ICU patients. The multi-resistant P. aeruginosa increased yearly, and drugs susceptibility to carbapenem had decreased sharply in the past 6 years. CONCLUSIONS It was showed that P. aeruginosa is the major pathogen in the ICU, and the pathogens show the high drug resistance. Doctors should pay more attention to analyze the bacterial resistance profile in order to decrease the incidence of drug resistance and use the antibiotics properly.

Targeting the key questions in the scale development process of TCM syndrome, such as the definition of the concept, the construction of the theoretical framework, the quantitative classification of the items, the rational use of the statistical methods and so on, this article put forward that on the basis of carefully distinguishing the three concepts of syndrome diagnosis, syndrome evaluation and disease diagnosis, and based on TCM dialectical thinking and mathematical validation to build theoretical framework. A scientific and reasonable quantitative classification method was established based on the reliability and validity as indexes. Non-linear intelligent mathematical statistics and symptomatic index groups were used to analyze the ideas and methods of data mining, with a purpose to improve and perfect the methodology of the development of syndromes scale and to improve the establishment and application of the syndrome scale.

Background The mechanism of both selenite-induced cataract and age-related cataract is oxidative damage.N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is one of the effective antioxidants,but the literature is little about the preventive and treating effects of NAC on cataract. Objective This study attempted to investigate the preventive and therapeutical effects of NAC on the selenite-induced cataract,and to discuss the possible mechanism. Methods Sixty 10-day-old clean SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group-1,normal control group-2,selenite-induced cataract group,NAC preventive group,NAC+normal saline group and NAC treatment group.Selenite cataract models were induced by subcutaneous injection of 3.46 mg/kg sodium selenite once daily for three days.The rats of NAC preventive group received the intraperitoneal injection of 2 mmol/L NAC 30 minutes before the injection of sodium selenite once daily for 6 days.In NAC treating group,2 mmol/L NAC was intraperitoneally injected 1 day after the injection of sodium selenite for 30 days,and the normal saline solution was injected at the same method in the NAC+normal saline group.Lens opacification was graded according to LOCS Ⅲ criteria.Histopathological change of lens epithelium was examined under a light microscope after hemotoxylin and eosin staining,and the ultrastructure was observed under the scanning electron microscope.The expression of caspase-3 in lens was assayed using immunochemistry.The levels of superoxide dismutase ( SOD ),malonaldehyde ( MDA ) in rat lens were detected respectively in corresponding time points.The use of the experimental animals complied with the Regulation for the Administration of Affairs Concerning Experimental Animals by State Science and Technology Committee. Results In 7 days after experiment,lenses were completely clear in the normal control group.Lens opacification of Ⅴ grade was found in 11 eyes in selenite cataract model group,but no lens opacification of Ⅴ grade was seen in NAC preventive group,showing a significant difference(x2 =40.000,P＜0.05 ).In 30 days after experiment,Ⅳ- Ⅴ grades of cataracts were found in 20 eyes both in NAC + normal saline group and NAC treating group (x2=0.153,P＞ 0.05 ).Histopathological examination showed that lens structure was normal,and the separation between LECs and anterior capsule,the rupture of cellular membrane,deformation of cellular nuclei and the feature of lens fiber were seen in selenite cataract group,but the damage of lens was mild in the NAC preventive group.Ultrastructure of lens was obviously abnormal in selenite cataract group,NAC+normal saline group and NAC treating group.Expressions of caspase-3 and SOD in lens were significantly lower,but that of MDA was significantly higher in the selenite cataract group than the normal control group (P＜0.05) ;while those of the NAC preventive group were significantly different from selenite cataract group(P＜0.05).No significant difference was found in the expressions of caspase-3 and the levels of SOD and MDA between NAC+normal saline group and NAC treating group (P＞0.05 ). Conclusions Selenite can induce the apoptosis of LECs.NAC can evidently postpone formation of selenite cataract by increasing the activity of SOD,decreasing the level of MDA and the expression of caspase-3.However,NAC could not reverse selenite-induced lens damage.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeutic effect of glucocorticoids on the acute pulmonary edema in rats induced by nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).

METHODSThirty SD female rats were randomly equally divided into 5 groups: normal control group, NO₂ exposed group, high-, middle- and low-dose of glucocorticoids treated group (6 rats per group). 6 rats in the normal control group were exposed to room air for 30 min, and the other rats to NO₂. 18 rats in the glucocorticoids group were treated with different doses of dexamethasone (6.0, 3.0, 1.0 mg/kg), while the rats in the NO₂ poisoning group were treated with normal saline (2.5 mg/kg). The lung wet/dry (W/D) weight ratio was calculated, and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity from whole blood, plasma interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSThe lung W/D ratios were increased significantly in glucocorticoids treated group and NO₂-exposed group compared with normal control group (P < 0.05), while they were significantly reduced in glucocorticoids treated group as compared with NO₂-exposed group (P < 0.05). SOD activity in whole blood in glucocorticoids treated group and NO₂-exposed group was significantly lower than that of normal control group (P < 0.05), while it was no significant difference between that of glucocorticoids treated group and NO₂-exposed group (P > 0.05). Plasma ANP was significantly increased in NO₂-exposed group compared with normal control group (P < 0.05), while it was significantly decreased in glucocorticoids treated group compared with NO₂-exposed group (P > 0.05). Plasma TNF-α of high-, middle- and low-dose of glucocorticoids treated group [(27.04 ± 8.19), (40.10 ± 9.09), (39.76 ± 9.60) pg/ml] was decreased significantly as compared with NO₂-exposed group (68.55 ± 27.84 pg/ml) (P < 0.05). Plasma IL-6 in high- and middle-dose of glucocorticoids treated group [(15.97 ± 6.18), (19.69 ± 5.52) pg/ml] was significantly decreased as compared to NO₂-exposed group [(29.29 ± 9.31) pg/ml] (P < 0.05). Plasma IL-10 in high-, middle- and low-dose of glucocorticoids treated group [(23.24 ± 5.14), (27.78 ± 8.17), (33.29 ± 10.42) pg/ml] was significantly reduced compared with NO₂-exposed group [(44.38 ± 9.19) pg/ml] (P < 0.05). Plasma IFN-γ in high- and middle-dose of glucocorticoids treated group [(7.21 ± 4.55), (19.23 ± 4.35) pg/ml] was reduced compared with NO₂-exposed group [(30.83 ± 6.82) pg/ml] (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHigh-, middle-, low-dose glucocorticoids all can improve the permeability of alveolar wall and capillary, and have nonspecific anti-inflammatory effects. The therapeutic effects on pulmonary edema are significant. High and middle dose of glucocorticoids treated group are more useful for decreased inflammatory factors.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Glucocorticoids ; therapeutic use ; Nitrogen Dioxide ; toxicity ; Pulmonary Edema ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To investigate the characteristics of spinal injury caused by earthquake as well as to improve its therapeutic ability by comparatively studying the medical records of the inpatients with spinal injuries caused by Wenchuan earthquake and the inpatients with spinal injuries in peace time.Methods Medical records of inpatients with spinal injuries were extracted from 5.12 earthquake injury database(earthquake group) and medical records of the patients with spinal injuries firstly admitted to Daping Hospital between 2001 and 2007 were extracted from Chinese trauma database systems (control group).The epidemiological characteristics of the two groups were comparatively studied,including gender,age,injury causes,injury severity,treatments and outcomes.Results (1) The incidence of spinal injuries in the earthquake group was 16.7％ (524/3145),which was significantly higher than that (6.4％,682/10644) in control group (P＜0.01).(2) The female ratio in the earthquake group was significantly higher than that in the control group (57.4％:31.8％) (P＜0.01).(3) The age range of the earthquake group was (47.9 ±20.9) years.The wounded number presented an undulately rising trend in the earthquake group as the growth of age,while it showed a parabolic distribution in the control group.(4)The main causes for spinal injuries were crush injury (69.3％) and multi-factor injury (2.8％) in the earthquake group,while slipping up/fall (56.0％) and traffic accidents (23.6％) were the main causes in the control group.(5) There were 82.3％ of the earthquake group that were combined with multiple injuries and 48.1％ combined with at least two injuries,while the control group accounted for only 28.9％ and 12.0％ respectively.The NISS (new injury severity score) in the earthquake group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(11.6±8.8) points vs (7.5±4.8)points](P＜0.01).Meanwhile,the proportion of NISS≥16 in earthquake group was significantly higher than that in the control group as well (P＜0.01).(6) The length of hospital stay of the wounded in the earthquake group was significantly longer than that in control group [(40.5±24.5)d VS (23.9±26.7)d](P＜0.01).The treatment inefficiency rate in the earthquake group was higher than that in the control group (9.2％ vs 4.8％) (P＜0.01).Conclusions The earthquake group has a higher proportion of spinal injuries,female and elder cases,and combined injuries,a much severer injury,a longer length of hospital stay,and a higher treatment inefficiency rate,as compared with the control group.In the earthquake relief,more importance should be attached to salvage,diagnosis,transfer regulation and missed diagnosis,misdiagnosis and secondary injury should be avoided so as to improve the treatment level of the spinal injuries in earthquake.

Objective To compare the effects of hepatic vein occlusion with tourniquet and Satinsky clamp in reseeting liver tumor involving the second hepatic portal.Methods From Jan 2003 to Jun 2006,180 patients underwent major liver resection with the selective hepatic vascular exclusion (SHVE).According to methods of hepatic vein occlusion,they were divided into two groups:Occlusion with tourniquet(tourniquet group,n=95)and occlusion with Satinsky clamp(Satinsky clamp group,n= 85).In tourniquet group,the hepatic veins were encircled and occluded with tourniquet,and in Satinsky clamp group,the hepatic veins were not encircled and clamped directly with Satinsky clamp.Data regarding the intraoperative and postoperative courses of the patients were analyzed.Results There was no difference between the two groups regarding the operating time,ischemia time,intraoperative blood loss and postoperative complications rate.The dissecting time of hepatic veins was significantly shorter in Satinsky group(6.2?2.4 min vs 18.3?6.2 min).lu the tourniquet group,five hepatic veins(one fight hepatic vein and four common trunk of left-middle hepatic veins)could not be dissected and encircled because of the tumors involving the cava hepatic junction.Another patient's common trunk of left-middle hepatic vein was inadvertently lacerated during the dissection.Hepatic veins in these 6 patients were occluded with Satinsky clamp successfully.Conclusion Occlusion with Satinsky clamping is safer and easier procedure than tourniquets in the resection of liver tumor involving the second porta hepatis.

Pericellular matrix (PCM) is a narrow tissue region surrounding chondrocytes, which "chondron" with its enclosed cells. A number of studies suggested that PCM is rich in proteoglycans, collagen and fibronectin, and plays an important role in regulating microenvironment of chondrocytes. Direct measures of PCM properties through micropipette aspiration technique showed that PCM was different from mechanical property of chondrocytes and nature extracellular matrix. However, the function of PCM is not clear, and need further study.
Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Chondrocytes ; chemistry ; cytology ; metabolism ; Extracellular Matrix ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Humans