Objective To summarize the experience of long-term survival of the patients under- going orthotopic heart transplantation.Methods Heart transplantation was performed on 2 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy and one case of Keshan disease.Before operation,pulmonary artery pressure was 42-53 mm Hg(5.60-7.07 kPa)and pulmonary vascular resistance 5.6-7.0 wood.The body weight difference between donors and receptors was 10%-15%.There were three same antigens in HLA zygosity experiment for all of three patients.Two cases were subjected to standard heart trans- plantation and one case to whole heart transplantation.All the atriums and big vessels were sutured by evting suture method.Cyclosporin A,azathioprine and corticosteroid were used to prevent patients from rejection.Results Survival time of 3 patients was 13 years and 10 months,12 years and 10 years and 3 months.Heart functions of three patients were NYHAⅠand all of 3 patients are living and working commonly.Six,3 and 1 rejection(s)occurred in 3 patients respectively and cured by appro- priate treatment.Electrocardiogram revealed that case 1 and case 2 had two P waves and case 3 sinus rhythm.Ultrasonic cardiogram showed that in case 1 and case 2,the left and right atriums were enlarged and tricuspid valve had slight backstreaming,and in case 3,all of the cardiac chambers were normal and had no backstreaming of tricuspid valve and mitral valve.No abnormal findings were found in 3 cases by 4-9 times of coronary arteriongraphy.Conclusion The important factors for the patients' long-term survival after heart transplantation include the choice of appropriate donors and acceptors, protection of donors' hearts,selection of appropriate operations and suture methods,rational use of im- munosuppressants and prevention of cardiac allograft vasculopathy.

Objective To explore the effects of glucose concentration fluctuation on function of cultured bovine arterial endothelial cells and underlying mechanism. Methods The thoracic aorta of newborn calf was used for primary endothelial cells culture. Cells were divided into 3 groups and cultured for 48 h : control group ( C, 5.5 mmol/L), constant high glucose group ( HG, 30 mmol/L) and glucose fluctuation ( GF, three circles of 2 h 30 mmol/L followed by 3 h 5.5 mmol/L, 30 mmol/L overnight, repeat the whole procedure on the following day) groups. The membranes fluidity of endothelial cells was detected by fluorescence polarization method. The contents of sorbierite, aldose reductase (AR), sorbitoi dehydrogenase (SDH) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were measured. RAGE, eNOS and ET-1 mRNA expressions were detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Results The membranes fluidity of endothelial cells in HG or GF group were significantly decreased compared with the control group( all P <0.01 ) and significantly lower in GF group than those in HG group (all P < 0. O1 ). Sorbierite, AR and AGEs concentrations were significantly higher in HG and GF groups than those in control group ( all P <0. 01 ) and AR and AGEs concentrations were significantly higher in GF group than that in HG group ( all P <0.01 ). SDH of endothelial cells in HG or GF group were decreased compared with the control group and lower in GF group than in HG group ( all P < 0.05). In addition, the mRNA levels of RAGE, eNOS and ET-1 were significantly upregulated compared with the control group( all P < 0.01 ). Conclusions Glucose concentration fluctuation can result in more severe bovine arterial endothelial cells dysfunction than high glucose via activating polyols metabolic pathways, upregulating the expression of AGEs, eNOS and ET-1.Therefore, glucose concentration fluctuation might play a crucial role on macrovascular complications of diabetes.

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between the depression symptoms and occupational stress in occupational populations.

METHODSDepression symptoms were measured by using the center for epidemiological survey-depression scale. The occupational stress instrument were employed to investigate the stressors, personalities, social support, and coping strategies as well as the subject's age, length of service, sex, educational level and marriage status. Chi(2) test was used for analyzing the difference of depression. The multiple covariance analysis was used for testing the difference of stressors, personalities, social support, and coping strategies among the groups with different scores of depression. The variables obtained in the optional prediction equation were identified by multiple stepwise regression analysis.

RESULTSThe incidence rate of definite depression symptoms was 40.2%. The total average score was 21.74 +/- 8.99. Henan province had the highest incidence rate of depression symptoms, 43.8%, Hebei 39.4%, and Beijing the lowest, 23.4%. The male workers had the higher incidence rate of depression symptoms, 43. 0% than female, 35.4% (P < 0.01). The older group had the lower incidence rates of depression symptoms, compared with the younger group (P < 0.01). The workers divorced or with the bereft spouse had the higher incidence rate of depression symptoms than the workers married and unmarried (P < 0.05). The workers with middle school education had the higher incidence rates of depression symptoms than those with master degree. Incidence rates in the most occupational groups were more than 30%. The significant difference was shown between the different jobs (P < 0.01). The difference of the adjusted means among three groups of different depression score were analyzed. The results showed the workers with definite depression symptoms had the higher scores than the other two groups in physical factors, role ambiguity, role conflict, job monotony, mental load, responsibility for persons, job future ambiguity, job hazards, type A behavior and work locus of control, and social support (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The former had the lower scores than the other two groups in the scores of promotion, participation, autonomy, task identity, feedback, friendship opportunity, speed control, training adequacy, challenge, self-esteem, organizational commitment, and coping strategies. Fifteen variables entered the predictive equation of depression score explaining 33.1% of variance.

CONCLUSIONThere are serious mental health problems in the occupational population in our country. Stressors and personalities affect the mental health.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Depression ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Mental Health ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Occupational Diseases ; epidemiology ; Stress, Psychological ; epidemiology

AIMTo detect the expression of VASA in human ejaculated spermatozoa, and to compare the expression of VASA between normozoospermic men and patients with oligozoospermia.

METHODSEjaculated spermatozoa were collected from normozoospermic men and patients with oligozoospermia by masturbation, and subsequently segregated through a discontinuous gradient of Percoll to obtain the spermatozoa. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), quantitative RT-PCR (QRT-PCR), immunoflurescence and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of VASA in mRNA and protein levels.

RESULTSVASA mRNA was expressed in the ejaculated spermatozoa. QRT-PCR analysis showed that VASA mRNA level was approximately 5-fold higher in normozoospermic men than that in oligozoospermic men. Immunofluorescence and Western blotting analysis showed that VASA protein was located on the cytoplasmic membrane of heads and tails of spermatozoa, and its expression was significantly decreased in oligozoospermic men, which is similar to the result of QRT-PCR.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of VASA mRNA and protein was significantly decreased in the sperm of oligozoospermic men, which suggested the lower expression of the VASA gene might be associated with pathogenesis in some subtypes of male infertility and VASA could be used as a molecular marker for the diagnosis of male infertility.

Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Blotting, Western ; DEAD-box RNA Helicases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Male ; Oligospermia ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Spermatozoa ; cytology ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo understand the relationship between the susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and ATG16L1 gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) site, rs2241880.

METHODSPeripheral blood samples were collected from 80 IBD patients (including 40 with Crohn's disease and 40 with ulcerative colitis) and 50 healthy controls, and the genomic DNA was extracted from the white blood cells. Specific primers were designed according to the target gene sequence for PCR amplification of the target gene fragment, and the PCR products were purified followed by sequence analysis of the target region of ATG16L1 gene. The results of the sequence analysis were compared with the BenBank data to analyze the relationship between the allele gene polymorphisms and the susceptibility to Crohn's disease.

RESULTSNo significant differences were noted in the ATG16L1 gene SNP site rs2241880 polymorphisms among the patients with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and the control subjects (Chi(2)=4.94, P=0.293).

CONCLUSIONATG16L1 gene polymorphisms in the SNP site rs2241880 are not found to correlate to the susceptibility to Crohn's disease as reported in literature. The SNP site associated with Crohn's disease susceptibility identified in foreign populations does not seem to be identical with that in Chinese population.

Adult ; Autophagy ; genetics ; Autophagy-Related Proteins ; Base Sequence ; Carrier Proteins ; genetics ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; genetics ; Crohn Disease ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phagosomes ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

BACKGROUNDA living fetus within the maternal uterus provides an example of allogene tolerance in mammals. Poria cocos Wolf is the main component of many Chinese medicinal combination drugs that have therapeutic effects on recurrent spontaneous abortion and that can maintain pregnancy until delivery. It was hypothesized that this herbal medicine can also prolong allograft survival after organ transplantation. Here, in an in vivo study, we report the anti-rejection effect of the ethanol extract of Poria cocos Wolf (EEPCW) in rats after cardiac allograft implantation.

METHODSTen normal rats were healthy controls. Eighty rats receiving homologous heart transplants were divided into 4 groups of 20 rats each based on type of treatment: olive oil 8 ml.kg(-1).d(-1), EEPCW 25 mg.kg(-1).d(-1), EEPCW 50 mg.kg(-1).d(-1) or cyclosporin A 5 mg.kg(-1).d(-1). Allograft survival was observed in 10 rats from each group. On the seventh day post transplantation, pathological lesions and percentages of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ lymphocytes and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio in peripheral blood were assessed in another 10 rats from each group and in 10 normal rats.

RESULTSThe survival time of donor hearts in the two EEPCW groups was significantly prolonged, to (15.9 +/- 2.4) days and (30.0 +/- 0.0) days, respectively, compared with (6.7 +/- 0.8) days in the control group. Pathological lesions in the two EEPCW groups were also less severe, and the percentages of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ lymphocytes and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were significantly lower in the EEPCW groups.

CONCLUSIONSAcute rejection of heart transplants and cellular immune reaction can be effectively suppressed using the EEPCW. Taking advantage of novel immunosuppressants derived from Chinese medicinal herbs used to treat abnormal pregnancy provides a hopeful road for future research and treatment in organ transplantation.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Graft Rejection ; prevention & control ; Graft Survival ; drug effects ; Heart Transplantation ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; pharmacology ; Male ; Polyporales ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVEElevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially the level of superoxide is a key event in many forms of cardiovascular diseases. To study the mechanism of tea polyphenols against cardiovascular diseases, we observed the expressions of ROS-related enzymes in endothelial cells.

METHODSTea polyphenols were co-incubated with bovine carotid artery endothelial cells (BCAECs) in vitro and intracellular NADPH oxidase subunits p22phox and p67phox, SOD-1, and catalase protein were detected using Western blot method.

RESULTSTea polyphenols of 0.4 microg/mL and 4.0 microg/mL (from either green tea or black tea) down-regulated NADPH oxidase p22phox and p67phox expressions in a dose-negative manner (P < 0.05), and up-regulated the expressions of catalase (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSTea polyphenols regulate the enzymes involved in ROS production and elimination in endothelial cells, and may be beneficial to the prevention of endothelial cell dysfunction and the development of cardiovascular diseases.

Animals ; Camellia sinensis ; chemistry ; Carotid Arteries ; cytology ; Catalase ; biosynthesis ; Cattle ; Cells, Cultured ; Down-Regulation ; Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Flavonoids ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Membrane Transport Proteins ; biosynthesis ; NADPH Dehydrogenase ; biosynthesis ; NADPH Oxidases ; Phenols ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Phosphoproteins ; biosynthesis ; Polyphenols ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; biosynthesis ; Superoxide Dismutase-1 ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVETo summarize clinical application of one-stage toenail lengthening in free second toe transfer for reconstruction of the thumb (finger).

METHODSNine patients (male 7, female 2) underwent thumb (finger) reconstruction with second toe transfer were treated by one-stage toenail lengthening technique. Eight were the thumb and 1 was the index finger. Patients aged from 18 to 46 years,with an average of 25 years. A rectangle skin was resected at 0.5 cm away from the eponychium, which was 0.2 cm high and as wide as the toenail. Then stripped U shape flap gently towards proximal end and sutured it. During the operation, the injury of the subcutaneous vascular network should be avoided.

RESULTSSuperficial infection at donor area happened in 1 case and was healed by changing dressings. All the reconstruction thumbs (fingers) had survived completely. 2 to 3 mm extending of toenail length was obtained and the appearance of thumb (finger) was improved. There was no growth deformation of toenail. After 7 to 24 months follow up (the average time 13 months), the appearance of the nail was good.

CONCLUSIONSOne-stage toenail lengthening in free second toe transfer for reconstruction of the thumb (finger), which can obtain a satisfactory appearance of the nail and have no influence on the motion of the reconstruction thumb (finger), is a simple and an effective operative procedure.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nails ; transplantation ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Thumb ; surgery

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study is to explore the operation method and efficacy through retroperitoneal laparoscopy combined with urethral resection for treatment of renal pelvic carcinoma.

METHODSTotal nephroureterectomy with excision of bladder cuff by retroperitoneal laparoscopy plus urethral resection was performed in 18 patients with pathologically confirmed pelvic transitional cell carcinoma (II-III, T1N0M0-T2N0M0). The operation was performed using Olympus celioscope (30 degrees or 0 degree) under general anesthesia. First, a 10 mm incision was made at the intersection of midaxillary line and superior border 2 cm from crista iliaca, then a self-made hyponome filled with 250-300 ml water was put through the small incision in order to open the retroperitoneal space, followed by getting the hyponome out and perfusing CO2 into the retroperitoneal space to make a pneumoretroperitoneum. Finally, the celioscope was put into the retroperitoneal space to operate. During the operation, electric coagulation was used to stop bleeding and the bladder was not irrigated.

RESULTSThe operation was successfully performed in 18 patients without any complication. The operative time ranged from 150 to 190 min with a mean of 160 min. The hospital stay after operation was 7 to 10 days. There was no tumor recurrence or metastasis or implantation in all these patients after follow-up of 1-19 months.

CONCLUSIONCompared with regular operation mode, retroperitoneal laparoscopy plus urethral resection for treatment of renal pelvic carcinoma is a minimally invasive treatment with less bleeding and quick recovery.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; surgery ; Kidney Pelvis ; surgery ; Laparoscopy ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nephrectomy ; methods ; Treatment Outcome ; Urethra ; surgery

AIM:To investigate the effects of titanium dioxide(TiO2)nanotube arrays on the early adhesion behavior of Porphyromonas gingivalis(Pg),Tannerella forsythia(Tf)and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans(Aa)be-fore and after loaded with minocycline hydrochloride(MN).METHODS: TiO2nanotube arrays were prepared by ano-dization and loaded with MN.Titanium slices were divided into 3 groups according to different treatment methods: pure polishing titanium(Ti)group,TiO2nanotube titanium(TiO2)group, and MN(120 μg)TiO2nanotube titanium(MN TiO2)group.The antibacterial properties of the titanium tablets were evaluated by the bacteriostasis test.RESULTS:The Ti had no antibacterial activity.The antibacterial activity of TiO 2to Aa,Pg and Tf was poor,with only about 20%of anti-bacterial rate after 4 h.After loaded with MN,its antibacterial activity was enhanced,and the antibacterial rate was up to 77%after 4 h.CONCLUSION: No antibacterial activity in the Ti group was observed.If TiO2nanotube arrays were formed on the surface and MN was loaded,the antibacterial activity on periodontal pathogens was stronger.