Objective To analyze the expression levels of matrix metallo proteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metallo proteinase-9 (MMP-9) in serum of patients with esophageal cancer,and to analyze the interrelations among MMP-2,MMP-9 and clinicopathologic characteristics of esophageal cancer.Methods The levels of serum MMP-2,MMP-9 from 60 patients with esophageal cancer were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.The interrelations among MMP-2,MMP-9 and clinicopathologic characteristics of esophageal cancer including age,gender,histological type,whether or not lymph nodes metastasis and TNM staging were analyzed.Results The levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in control group were 61.31 ng/ml and 87.67 ng/ml,the levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in patients with esophageal cancer were 121.66 ng/ml and 169.73 ng/ml.The levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were significantly higher in patients with esophageal cancer than that of general population (t =3.015,P =0.007; t =2.037,P =0.04).The level of MMP-2 was significantly associated with whether or not lymph node metastasis (t =2.150,P =0.04) and clinical staging (t =2.186,P=0.03).The level of MMP-9 was significantly associated with whether or not lymph node metastasis (t =2.390,P =0.02) and clinical staging (t =2.149,P =0.03).The levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 have no reference to age,gender and histological type (all P＞0.05).Conclusion MMP-2 and MMP-9 may correlate with tumor invasion and metastasis in patients with esophageal cancer.

Objective To investigate the peripheral blood Th17 and CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cell levels and their correlations in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC).Methods Peripheral blood samples were collected from 30 PHC patients and 25 healthy controls in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University from June 2008 to May 2009.Mononuclear cells were isolated and the Th17 and CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells were detected by flow cytometry and compared between patients and controls by t test.Spearman test was performed to analyze the correlation of Th17 with CD4 + CD25 +regulatory T cell concentrations.Results The levels of Th17 and CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells in peripheral blood in healthy controls were (2.10 ± 0.87) ％ and (7.10 ± 2.32) ％ ; while those in PHC patients were (3.38±1.68)％ and (11.78±5.62)％ (t=3.640 and 4.162,P＜0.01).The level of Th17 cells was positively associated with that of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells in PHC patients (r =0.821,P ＜0.01).Conclusion The levels of Th17 and CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells in peripheral blood are high in PHC patients and positively correlated with each other,which indicates that CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells may contribute to the disease progression and pathogenesis of carcinoma through inducing Th17 cells differentiation.

AIM: To investigate the expression of iNOS in the lung of HPS rats treated with tumor necrosis factor-? monoclonal antibody(TNF-?-McAb) and to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of TNF-?-McAb on hepatopulmonary syndrome.METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing(250?25)g,were randomized to sham operation group,common bile duct ligation(CBDL) group and CBDL+TNF-? McAb treatment group.Histopathological changes of the lung tissue were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining.The mRNA expression of iNOS in the lungs of hepatopulmonary rats was examined by RT-PCR,while the changes of iNOS in the protein level were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.RESULTS: The inflammatory responses in the CBDL rats treated with TNF-?-McAb decreased than that in CBDL group.Compared to CBDL group,the distribution of iNOS protein and the mRNA expressions in the lung tissue in TNF-?-McAb group were inhibited.CONCLUSION: TNF-?-McAb inhibits the expression of iNOS and plays a role in the treatment of HPS.

Objective To know automobile exhaust pollution and population exposure to automobile exhaust in Taiyuan,and to provide the basis for controlling automobile exhaust pollution.Methods Two different automobile pollution areas(A and B) were selected as the monitoring sites,the continue sampling was carried out for one week from March to April in 2008.The concentration of PM2.5 was determined by mass method,the inorganic elements in PM2.5 were extracted by Soxhlet method, arsenic and mercury were measured by atomic fluorescent spectrophotometer(AFS),the other metal elements were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer.The concentration of NO_x was detected by Saltzman method,the concentration of CO was measured by non-dispersive infrared absorption method.Results At crossroad A,daily average concentration of PM2.5 was 1.604 mg/m~3,which was significantly higher than that at crossroad B(0.64 rag/m~3),P

In this paper,the bacterial community structure in the gills and intestines of Penaeus chinensis and Metapenaeus ensis were investigated using a culture-independent method of 16S rDNA PCR-DGGE fingerprinting. It was proved that there are abundant and various bacteria in the gills and intestines of these prawns. The bacterial community in the gills and intestines of the same prawn or different kinds of prawns were obviously different based on the clustering analysis of DGGE fingerprints. On the other hand, the same bacteria were found in different kinds of prawns. This was the first time to aim to set up a method to reveal the bacterial community in prawn based on 16S rDNA PCR-DGGE fingerprinting which is of great value for the studies of the relationship between prawn and environmental microorganism as well as the related diseases.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the factors which influence the safety and prognosis of aorta replacement combined with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for thoracic aortic aneurysm associated with coronary artery disease.

METHODSFrom May 1982 to October 2002, 67 patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm were admitted, and 24 of them combined with CABG. Of the 24 patients, 9 received descending aorta replacement combined with CABG, and the other 15 received the ascending aorta replacement combined with CABG. The treatment results were compared with the other 43 patients only undergoing the thoracic aortic replacement.

RESULTSThe mortality rate of the patients with aorta replacement combined with CABG was 13% (3/24). Though the descending aorta replacement combined with CABG could make the cardiopulmonary bypass time and selective cerebral perfusion time longer, (278 +/- 54) min and (188 +/- 59) min respectively, no significant difference was observed in postoperative complications, 3-year survival rate, 3-year-cardiac-event-free rate compared with the patients only undergoing the thoracic aortic replacement (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe aorta replacement combined with CABG can be performed safely, and the revascularization for coronary artery disease is useful for preventing occurrence of cardiac events.

Aorta, Thoracic ; surgery ; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic ; complications ; surgery ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Artery Disease ; complications ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of levetiracetam (LEV) in the treatment of epilepsy as a monotherapy in children.

METHODSThirty-two children with epilepsy (age ranged from 8 months to 12 years) and who had received LEV monotherapy were investigated by a self-controlled and open-label research. LEV was administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg.d, and increased by 10 mg/kg.d per week till to the target dose (20-40 mg/kg.d), with a mean dose of 35 mg/kg.d.

RESULTSThirty-one patients were followed up for more than three months. Twenty-five patients (80.6%) had at least 50% reduction in seizures, 22 cases (70.9%) became seizure-free, and LEV therapy was discontinued in 5 patients (16.1%) due to either an inadequate seizure control or aggravated seizures. The therapy-related adverse events included mood and behavioral changes (6/31, 19.4%), asthenia (2/31, 6.5%), somnolence (2/31, 6.5%), and skin rashes (1/31, 3.2%). The adverse effects were spontaneously disappeared or disappeared after reducing the LEV dose.

CONCLUSIONSLEV monotherapy is effective and safe for the control of partial and generalized tonic-clonic seizures in children with epilepsy. LEV appears to be a promising anti-epileptic drug for monotherapy in children with epilepsy.

Anticonvulsants ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Epilepsy ; drug therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Piracetam ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use

Objective To evaluate the value of reducing radiation dose with ECG-pulsing and image quality in 64-row multi-alice CT coronary angiography.Methods Fifty-nine consecutive patients whose heart rates were less than 80 beat per minute and cardiac rhythm was regular were randomly divided into two groups from October 26, 2007 to March 12, 2008.Conventional technique of CT coronary angiography was employed in group 1, while ECG-pulsing technique was applied in group 2.CT dose index volume (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) were obtained automatically, and then the corresponding effective dose (ED) were calculated.The quality scores were performed on obtained imaging by using double blind method.Student t-test was applied in the comparison of value of CTDIvol, value of ED and quality of imagiugbetween two groups.Results The value of CTDIvol was (70.0±1.1) and (39.0±2.7) mGy, the value of ED was (16.8±2.0) and (9.5±1.7) rosy in group 1 and group 2, respectively, which reached statistically significant differences between the groups(t=57.675,15.346 ,P <0.01, respectively). The quality scores of coronary images were 3.8±0.2 and 3.8±0.1 in the groups, which did not reach the statistical significance (t=-0.222, P 0.05).Conclusions The proper application of ECG-Pulsing technology in 64-slice spiral CT coronary angiography can reduce radiation dose significantly while having no influence on the quality of the imaging.

To study the effects of alkaloids from Coptidis Rhizoma on low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) mRNA expression and antihyperlipedemic levels. The LDLR mRNA expression were detected by real time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL-c) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) in serum were measured at the first and last examination. The results show that, after the drug treatment, compared with the model group, each drug group showed a lipid-lowering effect. Especially, coptisine, palmatine, jatrorrhinze were significantly reduced TC, TG, LDL-c (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and increased HDL-c (P < 0.01). In addition, they also increased mRNA expression of the LDLR in liver and HepG2 cells. The results showed that alkaloids from Coptidis Rhizoma can regulate lipid metabolism disorder, and coptisine have the best lipid-lowering effect.
Alkaloids ; administration & dosage ; Animals ; Cholesterol ; metabolism ; Cricetinae ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Lipid Metabolism ; drug effects ; Lipids ; blood ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; metabolism ; Mesocricetus ; Receptors, Lipoprotein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Triglycerides ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Yixintai Granule (YG) on mRNA and protein expression levels of AQP2 in renal medulla of chronic heart failure (CHF) rabbits.

METHODSCHF rat model was established by ear marginal vein injection of adriamycin. Successfully modeled rabbits were divided into the model group, the high (8.4 g/kg), middle (4.2 g/kg), and low dose (2.1 g/kg) YG group, and the Furosemide group (2 mg/kg). Besides, a normal control group was set up. Equal volume of physiological saline was administered to rabbits of the model group and the normal control group by gastrogavage. YG at different doses was administered to rabbits of the 3 YG groups by gastrogavage. The intervention lasted for 4 weeks, once per day. After treatment the urine volume and pathomorphological changes of renal medulla tissue were observed. mRNA and its protein expression levels of AQP2 were detected.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, the urine volume decreased significantly, mRNA and protein expression levels of renal medulla AQP2 increased significantly in the model group (all P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the urine volume increased significantly, and mRNA and protein expression levels of renal medulla AQP2 decreased significantly in all medicated groups (all P < 0.01). Compared with the low dose YG group, the urine volume significantly increased and the mRNA expression level of renal medulla AQP2 significantly decreased in the middle and high dose YG groups (all P < 0.01). The expression level of AQP2 protein significantly decreased in the high dose YG group (P < 0.01). Pathological changes of the renal medulla was the most obviously seen in the model group. But they were alleviated to various degrees in all medicated groups. They were more obviously attenuated in the middle and high dose YG groups.

CONCLUSIONYG could improve CHF possibly through down-regulating mRNA and protein expression levels of AQP2 in renal medulla, and elevating the urine volume.

Animals ; Aquaporin 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Chronic Disease ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Heart Failure ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rabbits ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley