Objective To evaluate the computed tomography (CT) characteristics of cardiovascular involvement in Beheet syndrome. Methods Eleven patients with clinically diagnosed Behcet syndrome were studied retrospectively from July 1995 to December 2007. Electron beam CT or 64-slice helical CT scanner was used and CT characteristics were reviewed. Results Eleven patients were diagnosed according to the criteria reported by the international study group for Behcet syndrome. Of them, 4 patients presented with aortic valve prolapse (2 patients with mitral valve prolapse), false aneurysm of right coronary artery was demonstrated in 2 patients, false aneurysm of left subclavian artery, aortic aneurysm and penetrating ulcers, aortic arch false aneurysm, aortic dissection, pulmonary embolism and interatrial scptum aneurysm in 1 case, respectively. Conclusion CT is a very useful method for the diagnosis and foUow-up of Behcet syndrome.

Objective: To explore the imaging and clinical features of Behcet's disease with coronary artery involvement in order to improve the diagnosis and treatment in clinical practice. Methods: A total of 6 Behcet's disease patients with coronary involvement diagnosed and treated in our hospital from 1999-08 to 2016-11 were analyzed. Coronary angiography (CAG) and coronary CTA were performed for diagnosis. There were 5 cases received CAG and 5 cases received CTA examinations. Results: All 6 patients had the first clinical visit by sudden pericardial tapenade, myocardial infarction or cardiac shock. For diagnosis: the imaging presentation included coronary stenosis, occlusion and pseudo aneurysm formation. 3 patients had anterior descending artery involvement, 1 had the far-end of left circumflex involvement and 2 had the middle segment of right coronary involvement; all patients were combining large amount of pericardial effusion. For treatment: there were 3 patients with aneurysm received conservative treatment (1 case had open thoracic exploration), 1/3 lost contact and 2 having long-term normal life; 3 patients received coronary stent implantation without optimal effect. Conclusion: The patients of Behcet's disease with coronary involvement may easily form pseudo aneurysm; CAG/CTA has been helpful for diagnosis. Clear pre-operative diagnosis of etiology is important for treatment.

College of Stomatology of Wuhan University was the first dental school who introduced the Kavo head-simulator for clinical teaching.In this study,students of stomatology were investigated before and after head-simulator training and questionares were made.The results have showed that head-simulator teaching system not only raises the activity of student,consolidates the basic knowledge,develops the clinical thinking ability,but also increases the ability of clinical operational skill before clinical training.

Objective To evaluate the CT features of aorto-right atrial fistula after aortic valve replacement(AVR) or ascending aortic replacement.Methods Eighty-seven patients with aortic-right atrial fistula underwent CT after operation.The CT features were retrospectively analyzed.Fistula was measured according to maximum width of the shunt.Results Aorto-right atrial fistula was detected in 87 patients after aortic valve replacement or ascending aortic replacement by CT scan. Among them,25 patients were diagnosed as mild aorto-right atrial fistula,47 patients as moderate,and 15 patients as severe.Thirty-seven patients underwent follow-up CT.Among them,10 patients with mild to moderate aorto-right atrial fistula were considered to have complete regression,8 patients with mild aorto-right atrial fistula considered to have incomplete regression,14 patients with mild to moderate aorto-right atrial fistula considered to have stable condition,and 5 patients with moderate aorto-right atrial fistula considered to have progression at the 3-month follow-up.Conclusion CT is a useful tool for defining aorto-right atrial fistula after AVR or ascending aortic replacement and for evaluating it in follow-up.

Animals ; Beverages ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Receptors, Complement 3b ; metabolism

The aim of this study was to synthesize 1-(5-(hydroxymethyl)-4-methyl-3-oxo-3,4-dihydro-pyrazin-2-yl) guanidine (mucunaguanide),a pyrazinone alkaloid compound extracted from the seed of Stizotobium cochinchinensis.Starting from benzyloxy acetaldehyde,following four steps in reaction including condensation,cyclization,substitution and hydrogenation reaction,mucunaguanide was synthesized with total yield of 27.9％,and purity of more than 97.5％.Structures of all the intermediates and target compound were confirmed by IR,1H NMR and MS.This synthetic process was characterized with raw materials available,simple in operation with much milder reaction conditions,and was an ideal method of synthesis of this compound.

To against the emergence of drug-resistent candidiasis, the studys of synergism of natural compounds combine with antifungal agents in vitro showed a continuous growth in recent years. The paper reviewed recent progresses to compare the synergetic effect by FICI method, and to conclude the synergetic mechanisms which have been confirmed as a reference for futher study.
Antifungal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Candida albicans ; drug effects ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods

Background In recent years,with the contiunous progress of the refractive surgery,the operation skill of phakic intraocular lens(PIOL)implantation for correcting extreme high myopia,astigmatism,farsightedness have made greater progression,and its security,effectiveness in clinical attract much more attention. Objective This study was to evaluate the efficacy,safety and stability of Toric Implantable Collamer Lens(TICL)for extreme high myopic astigmatism. Methods This retrospective case series included 33 eyes of 27 patients from May 2008 to February 2009.A TICL was intraocularly implanted via a 3 mm clear corneal incision after paraocular anesthesia.Patients were examined preoperatively and followed-up at 1 day,1 week,1 month,3,6,12 and 18 months postoperatively.The examinations included uncorrected visual acuity,best corrected visual acuity(BCVA),slit lamp examination,refraction,intraocular pressure,endothelial cell morphometry,etc.The written informed consent was obtained from each patient before any medical procedure. Results The uncorrected visual acuity in 96.97% eyes was equal or improved after operation in comparison with BCVA of preoperation.The spherical refraction was within-1.00 D-+0.25 D.The cylinder refraction was within-1.00 D-0 D.The axial deviation of TICL within 10 degree was 93.94%(31/33).No significant differences were found in the intraocular pressure and endothelial cell morphometry between preoperation and postoperation(intraocular pressure:F=3.35,P=5.49;endothelial cell morphometry:t=1.835,P=0.082).The visual acuity and refraction were stable during the follow-up.Astigmatic axial rotation required surgical intervention on one eye.One eye occurred high intraocular pressure because of bigger TICL diameter.The intraocular pressure returned to normal after TICL was exchanged.No cataract occurred during the follow-up duration. Conclusion TICL implantation appears to be an effective,safe and reliable method for extreme high myopic astigmatism.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of 6-gingerol, the main active component of ginger, on hair shaft elongation in vitro and hair growth in vivo.

METHODSFirstly, Hair follicles were co-cultured with 3 different concentration of 6-gingerol for 5 days and hair elongation in three groups was measured. Secondly, The proliferative effect of 6-gingerol on DPCs was measured using MTT assay. Thirdly, the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in DPCs were measured using Western blotting. In vivo study, the influence of 6-gingerol on hair growth in C57BL/6 rats was measured through topical application of 6-gingerol on the dorsal skin of each animal.

RESULTSThe length of hair shaft in 20 microg/ml 6-Gingerol group (0.50 +/- 0.08 mm) is less than 0 microg/ml (0.66 +/- 0.19) mm and 10 microg/ml (0.64 +/- 0.03) mm 6-Gingerol group (P < 0.05). In cell culture, compared to 0 microg/ml and 5 microg/ml 6-Gingerol, 10 microg/ml 6-Gingerol can significantly inhibited the proliferation of DPCs (P < 0.05). Along with the growth inhibition of DPCs by 6-gingerol, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio increased obviously. In vivo study, the hair length and density decreased a lot after using 1 mg/ml 6-gingerol.

CONCLUSIONS6-Gingerol can suppress human hair shaft elongation because it has pro-apoptotic effects on DPCs via increasing Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. It might inhibit hair growth by prolonging the telogen stage in vivo.

Animals ; Catechols ; pharmacology ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cells, Cultured ; Fatty Alcohols ; pharmacology ; Hair ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Hair Follicle ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

AIMTo elucidate the independent or combined effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) on cardiomyocytes and investigate the relationship between hypertrophy and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes.

METHODSCultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were stained with FITC-conjugated phalloidin and eosin to detect the cardiomyocyte hypertrophy evidenced by increased sarcomeric structure and cell size. Cardiomyocytes were stained with Hoechst 33258 to detect apoptotic nuclei showing features of condensation and fragmentation.

RESULTSCardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by ET-1 or PGF2, shown a dose dependent effect. The area of cardiomyocytes treated by 10 nmol/L or 100 nmol/L of ET-1 for 24 h increased 68% or 84% as compared with control, respectively. The area of cardiomyocytes exposed to 10 nmol/L or 100 nmol/L of PGF2alpha for 24 h increased 28% or 106% as compared with control, respectively. The ET-1 and PGF2alpha had a synergic effect on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, but not superimposed effect. The area of cardiomyocytes increased 80%, 122%, 96%, and 199% in 10 nmol/L ET-1 plus 10 nmol/L PGF2, 10 nmol/L ET-1 plus 100 nmol/L PGF2alpha, 100 nmol/L ET-1 plus 10 nmol/L PGF2alpha, and 100 nmol/L ET-1 plus 100 nmol/L PGF2alpha group, respectively. There were no changes in apoptotic rate of cardiomyocytes treated by ET-1 or PGF2alpha alone for 48 h. The apoptotic rate of cardiomyocytes also didn't increase in ET-1 plus PGF2alpha treatment for 24 h groups, but significantly increased in ET-1 plus PGF2alpha treatment for 48 h groups. ET-1 or PGF2alpha could induce an increase in apoptotic rate of hypertrophic cardiomyocytes. There was a positive relationship between hypertrophic extent and apoptotic rate in cardiomyocytes.

CONCLUSIONThe cardiomyocytes treated by ET-1 or PGF2alpha alone only show hypertrophy, but treatment of ET-1 plus PGF2alpha for 48 h induces apoptosis of cardiomyocytes.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Dinoprost ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Endothelin-1 ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley