Objective:To study the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE),extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK),and the changes of atrial fibrosis in patients with rheumatic heart disease(RHD) and atrial fibrillation(AF) treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor(ACEI).Methods:Atrial tissues were obtained from the right appendage during open surgery in 35 patients with RHD.The mRNA of ACE and ERK2 were semi-qualified by reverse transcription-ploymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and normalized to the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase(GAPDH).Western blotting analysis was employed to examine the expressions of ACE and phosphorylated ERK(pERK).Atrial collagen volume fraction(CVF) was detected by Masson's stain.Results:The mRNA of ACE and ERK2 or the protein of ACE and pERK were significantly increased,and CVF was significantly increased in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation(CAF) compared with sinus rhythm group(SR)( P 0.05).Conclusion:The expressions of ACE,ERK2 and pERK increase,and fibrosis is more severe in RHD patients with CAF as compared with those with SR.Compared with CAF patients treated without ACEI,the expressions of ERK2 and pERK significantly decrease( P 0.05)in CAF patients treated with ACEI.This suggests that the increasing expression of ERK2 and pERK resulting from local renal angiotensin-converting enzyme system activation mediates the development of atrial fibrosis,and ACEI may contribute to lesser atrial fibrosis in RHD patients with AF.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive disorder characterized by abnormally elevated blood pressure of the pulmonary circulation. PH progresses rapidly to right ventricular (RV) failure and even death without treatment. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is an accurate and reproducible tool for the assessment of RV morphology and function, which plays an important role in the prognosis of patients with PH. The aim of this study is to review the clinical application and research progress of CMR in evaluation of PH.

According to the sera aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4), neuromyelitis optica (NMO) can be classified into two types as AQP4 antibody positive (AQP4+) and negative (AQP4-). However, the NMO patients with AQP4- are prone to delayed treatment, and may have a different pathogenesis compared to that in patients with AQP4+. Scientific researches and the clinical trials on NMO with AQP4- will deepen the understanding of NMO pathogenesis and help to make an early accurate diagnosis and rational therapy for NMO with AQP4-. This review aims to summarize the progress in clinic diagnosis for NMO patients with AQP4-.

Five flavors are basic nature of Chinese medicine. But the labeling of Chinese medicine flavors was in a chaos. Song Jin and Yuan dynasty is a transconformation stage of labeling Chinese medicine flavors. In this article the author put forward that the determination of Chinese medicine flavor shifted from tasting of early and middle age of Northern Song dynasty to categorical analogizing and functional analogizing in the late age of Northern Song dynasty. The latter method had a flourished development in Southern Song, Jin and Yuan dynasty. This regularity conclusion has provided a reference for the standardizing Chinese medicine flavors.
History, Medieval ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; history ; Taste

BACKGROUND: Primary hypertension is in the category of "dizziness"and "dementia" in Chinese medicine. It is discovered in recent years that vascular dangerous factors, like hypertension affect the risk constitution of Alzheimer disease.OBJECTIVE: To probe into relationship between cognition and syndrome differentiation of primary hypertension.DESIGN: Case-control analysis was designed.SETTING: Jiangsu Staff University of Medical Science and Yangzhou Wenhe Hospital.PARTICIPANTS: Totally 90 cases of primary hypertension were employed from May to June 2000. They were from some city in the north of Jiangsu province, graduated from middle school and cooperated with the investigation. Totally 30 cases were collected from physical-check group and taken in the control.METHODS: The cases of primary hypertension were differentiated as excess-syndrome group (excessive phlegm and damp and hyperactivity of liver yang), deficiency-syndrome group (yin deficiency of liver and kidney and deficiency of yin and yang), excess within deficiency group (complicated with blood stasis and with turbid phlegm) and the control group. Neuropsychological method was used to evaluate the cognition.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Indexes of neuropsychology: Fuld object-memory Evaluation (FOM), rapid verbal retrieve (RVR), block design WISE (BD), digit span WISE (DS), Hachinski ischemic score (HACH), mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and activity of daily living scale among groups.RESULTS: The data of 90 cases of primary hypertension and 30 cases in physical-check group entered result analysis. Compared with the control group, significant difference was not indicated in every statistical index in excess-syndrome group (P ＞ 0.05). In deficiency-syndrome group, except MMSE and ADL, the rest observed indexes indicated statistical difference.In excess within deficiency group, statistical difference presented in every observed index (P ＜ 0.01), in which the results in the complication of turbid phlegm was worse than blood stasis (FOM was 11.3±3.7,13.5±2.5 respectively; DS was 6.4±3.9,8.3±3.5, respectively)CONCLUSION: Primary hypertension affects mental state of patient, in which, cognition is declined mildly in deficiency-syndrome group. Dementia symptoms present in excess within deficiency group which is severe in phlegm type compared with blood stasis type. Differentiation of syndromes in Chinese medicine integrated with neuropsychological assessment benefits early discovery and diagnosis of dementia.

ObjectiveTo study the curative effect of axillary osmidrosis,that incision in armpit wrinkle,orthoptic cut off the gland to thick skin flap.MethodsCollected double-sided axillary osmidrosis 163 patients,all of them accepted armpit wrinkle incision,the scope of surgical operation super the armpit hair distribute 1 cm,swelling anaesthesia,orthoptic cut off the armpit organization 5 mm under skin included apocrine sweat gland,kept the operation scope to vessel net flap under skin.Hematischesis thoroughly used a double pole electricity hemostasis,kept drainage after operation,bandaged in pressure,took out sutures after 9 days.The foul smell standard referenced the Tung-Chain standard of axillary osmidrosis curative effect evaluation.ResultsThree hundred and twenty armpits (98.16％,320/326) were cure,6 armpits (1.84％,6/326) were excellence.The armpit hair variety:obvious reduce 322 armpits(98.77％,322/326),general reduce 4 armpits(1.23％,4/326).Perspire condition:obvious reduce 324 armpits(99.39％,324/326),improve but no obvious reduce 2 armpits ( 0.61％,2/326).The average surgical operation recovery time was about 9 days.Complication:necrosis on the edge of the skin was 8 armpits,scar formation on the incision was 3 armpits,hematoma was 1 armpit,shoulder joint limitation of activity was 0 armpit.ConclusionThe method of axillary osmidrosis treatment useing thick skin flap in armpit wrinkle,which has extermination foundation of anatomy and pathology,which can cause axillary osmidrosis,this operation is simple,curative effect is credible,the wound is small,complication is little etc,utmost matching the principle of orthopedic surgery,worthy of clinical application.

ObjectiveTo assess the effect of modified minimally-invasive transverse-vertical epicanthoplasty in double-eyelid plastic with three points at the same period.Methods87 cases with mild or moderate epicanthus and oriental eyelid were involved in our research.Epicanthoplasty was performed based on the principle of transversevertical plasty.The curvilinear incision of epicanthoplasty was made between the desired point of the new medial canthus and the lower lacrimal point,the malpositioned orbicularis oculi muscle excised after skin undermining,the superficial head of the medial canthal tendon plicated or anchored to the lateral nasal aponeurosis and the incision closed after skin redraping.Double-eyelid plastic with three points was performed as usual,however,the incision of eyelid plastic was connected with the incision of epicanthoplasty by skin tunnel in which a strip of orbicularis oculi muscle was excised.Results87 cases were followed-up for 3 to 24 months.The cosmetic results of the new medial canthi were satisfactory with new figure and inconspicuous scar.The contours of the double eyelids were natural.No incisional scar presented between the medial canthi and the upper eyelids.No recurrence of epicanthus was observed.ConclusionThe modified mini-incisional transverse-vertical epicanthoplasty together with double-eyelid plastic with three points is a simple and effective feasible surgical approach for correction of epicanthus and oriental eyelid.

Cancer stem cells (CSC) play a crucial role in the tumor angiogenesis.Angiogenic factors and hypoxia mediate the process.CSC car differentiate into vascular endothelial cells and participate in the formation of vasculogenic mimicry,which may be one of the key factors in the initiation and progression of tumors.lndepth studies of the roles of CSC in tumor angiogenesis might help provide the basis for developing more effective therapeutic drug target.

ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism that Gadd45a and Egr-1together participate in the DNA damage repair,by analyzing the influence of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) on the rnRNA and protein expression of hepatic cell cycle-related genes.Method Methods Forty-two SD rats were divided into normal control group,ischemia 30 min group and reperfusion 30 min,1h,2 h,3 h and 24 h groups.The hepatic specimens of rats at the corresponding time points after success of modeling were obtained. Chip experiment was used to screen out the key genes Gadd45a,Egr-1and GAPDH for target genes.We used Northern blot and RT-PCR to confirm the chip's results. The expression of related proteins was detected by using immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry.Results Northern blot detection results showed that the RT-PCR products and the target genes for testing were concordant.The expression spectral chip signal and RT-PCR detection revealed that the expression of target genes had a 4-fold increase at early reperfusion period (1h) (up-regulation of Egr-1,Gadd45a and HSP70-1a by 9.39,8.28 and10.8 respectively.At the later stage of reperfusion (24 h),the expression of Egr-1,Gadd45a and Hspala was reduced to the normal levels, and the chip screening results were consistent with the RT-PCR test results.Fluorescence immunohistochemistry demonstrated that in the reperfusion1h and 2 h groups,the expression of Egr-1in nuclei of liver cells was positive. Immunohistochemistry indicated that the Gadd45 expression in the nucleus and cytoplasm was gradually increased with increasing reperfusion time.ConclusionGadd45a and Egr-1are the key genes of the nuclear factor (NF)-kB regulatory pathways,and involved in the regulation of cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and repair of damaged DNA in rat hepatic IRI.

Rho/Rho-kinase signaling pathway is a ubiquitous one in eukaryotic cells and plays a part in various biologic behaviors.Studies showed that it was expressed in pancreatic acinar,ductal and endocrine cells,as well as related to the pancreatic endocrine and exocrine functions.Moreover,the evidence showed that there was a close relationship the pathway and pancreatic cancer,pancreatitis,diabetes mellitus.