1.5 cm in diameter) are significant risk factors for the failure of stone clearance. Prophylactic cholecystectomy of an acalculous gallbladder is unnecessary.

To clarify the effects of zinc on the proliferation and apoptosis of cultured human retinal pigment epithelia (RPE) and the expression of caspase-3 in RPE cells. The effect of Zinc on the proliferation of RPE were examined with MTT method. TUNEL method was used to detect the apoptosis of RPE cells. Caspase-3 was detected by immunohistochemistry. A concentration of zinc higher than 0.001 microM could inhibit the proliferation of RPE. And the relationship between concentration of zinc higher than 10 microM and growth prohibition rate of RPE cells was dose-dependent. All concentrations of zinc including 0.001 microM enhanced the expression of caspase-3 of RPE. But only the concentration of zinc higher than 0.01 microM could induce apoptosis of RPE. It is concluded that zinc could enhance the expression of caspase-3 of RPE cells and induce apoptosis of RPE cells. Caution should be taken when using zinc supplements for the treatment of ARMD patients without deficiency of zinc.
Apoptosis/*drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; Caspases/metabolism ; Cell Division/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Pigment Epithelium of Eye/*cytology ; Zinc/*pharmacology

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; drug therapy

CXCR7 is a new receptor of chemokine CXCL12 after CXCR4.The present study shows that CXCL12/CXCR7 biological axis has important influence to the development of a variety of tumors,similar to CXCL12/CXCR4 biological axis.CXCR7 is present in many kinds of tumor tissues and tumor cells widely,and plays an important role in tumor cells growth,proliferation,adhesion and migration.Restraining CXCR7 expression or blocking the CXCR7 signaling pathways may offer new strategies for the treatment of tumors.

AIM: To investigate therapeutic effects of recombinant human growth hormone(rhGH) on rat sepsis and its possible mechanisms. METHODS: Mean arterial pressure (MAP), levels of plasma TNF?,IL-1? and endotoxin,leukocyte count and survival rate within 1 week were determined after E. coli injection among control group,sepsis group and sepsis+rhGH group. RESULTS: (1)rhGH diminished the decrease of MAP, reduced plasma endotoxin and TNF? levels and increased neutrophil ratio in total leukocytes in sepsis rat. rhGH increased survival rate within 1 week on sepsis rat. (2)No changes were found in IL-1? level among the three groups. CONCLUSION: rhGH showed desirable beneficial effects on rat sepsis, which may attribute to: improving circulatory function; maintaining intestinal mucosa barrier, attenuating bacteria/endotoxin translocation and inhibiting the production and release of TNF?.

Objective To investigate the change of wave-front aberrations after Ortho-K contact lens(CL)by day and overnight wear.Design Retrospective case series.Participant 180 eyes of 92 myopic patients wearing Ortho-K CL.Method Wave-front aberra- tions of 180 eyes of 92 myopic patients wearing Ortho-K CL were analyzed.Patients were divided into by day wear and overnight wear groups.Wave-front aberrations were measured with WFA 1000B subjective aberrometer before and 1 month after Ortho-K CL wear. Wave-front aberrations at initial,after one month of CL fitting and without CL were measured in same condition,and RMS values for overall wave-front aberrations and each order of the Zernike aberrations were analyzed with Matlab software.Main Outcome Measures RMS value of Zernike coefficient of each order.Result Compared with initial aberration in wear by day group,total RMS and each or- der aberrations(except 2nd order)with lens fitting significantly increased(P0.05).Compared with initial aberration in overnight wear group,overall wavefront aberrations and the RMS(except 2nd,3rd and 6th order Zernike aberrations)with lens fitting significantly increased(P0.05).Conclusion The high order aberrations with lens fitting and without lens fit- ting increased in each group.The aberration with lens fitting in wear by day group was higher than that in overnight wear group,while the aberration without lens fitting in overnight wear group was higher than that in wear by day group.(Ophthalmol CHN,2007,16: 351-354)

Objective To observe the formation of biofilms on endotracheal tubes ,and to determine the effect of azithromycin on Haemophilus influenzae in biofilms .Methods One hundred and twenty Wistar rats were intubated with a silicone tube ,80 of them(40 rats were model group and 40 were medicine group) were infected by bacteria to establish the animal models of endotra-cheal tube infections the others were ues as control gruop .Formation of biofilms was detected by scanning electron microscope .Via-ble cells counting was carried out to evaluate the effect of azithromycin orally on biofilms on endotracheal tubes .Results Uneven biofilms were formed on the surface of endotracheal tubes ,and slim bodied of bacteria enclosed by a lot of extracellular matrix .Via-ble cells counting was reduced in medicine group compared with model group .Conclusion Haemophilus influenzae can form bio-films on endotracheal tubes .Azithromycin can exert inhibitory effect on haemophilus influenzae biofilms formed on endotracheal tubes .

Ginseng and its effective components are famous for their influence to enhance human immunity, regulate endocrine and antioxidant action. However, the different effects of different components are not clear. In this study, Wistar rats were used to study the effects of main components of ginseng, including total ginsenoside, panaxadiol saponins, panaxtrol saponin and ginseng polysaccharide. The results showed that the effects of panaxadiol saponins and ginseng polysaccharide on improving animal immune organ weight, plasma interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 6 (IL-6), plasma gamma-interferon (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were better than that of the other groups. Total ginsenoside and panaxtrol saponin can effectively increase the concentration of spleen NK cells (NKC) while panaxadiol saponins and ginseng polysaccharide can significantly increase the concentrations of rat plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), corticosterone (CORT) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). As for the effect of increasing organization nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA), total ginsenoside is better than that of other groups. In brief, different components in ginseng possess different effects on enhancing immunity, regulating endocrine and resisting oxidation. Panaxadiol saponins and ginseng polysaccharide are better in enhancing immune, and total ginsenoside shows advantages in resisting oxidation and stress.
Adrenal Glands ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Corticosterone ; blood ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Glutathione ; metabolism ; Immune System ; drug effects ; physiology ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-2 ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Killer Cells, Natural ; drug effects ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Panax ; chemistry ; Polysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats, Wistar ; Saponins ; pharmacology ; Spleen ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Thymus Gland ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Thyrotropin ; blood

AIM To investigate the exact subtype of ryanodine receptor (RyR) in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell(PASMC) and the change of RyR expression from pulmonary hypertensive (PAH) rats. METHODS Rats pre treated with a single intraperitoneal injection of monocrotaline (MCT, 60 mg?kg -1 ) were used to produce PAH animal model and killed 21 d later. The subtype expression of RyR and the change of their mRNA were measured by RT PCR; protein expression of RyR was measured by Western blot in PASMC. RESULTS The PASMC of rats only expressed type ⅡRyR (RyR2). RT PCR showed the RyR2 mRNA concentration of PAH group was higher than that of control; Western blot demonstrated that the RyR2 protein level in PAH group was increased to (170 23?45 34)%. CONCLUSION PASMC only expressed RyR2 subtype and the increment of RyR2 expression may contribute to the pathological mechanism of PAH formation.

Objective To analyze the clinical and radiographic characterstics of ureteral polyps with hydronephrosis in children.Methods Thirteen patients with ureteral polyps and hydronephrosis were studied retrospectively.All patients underwent abdominal plain film,intravenous pyelogram(IVP)and ultrasound(US)examinations,contrast-enhanced CT scan was performed in 10 cases.Results Intermittent or recurrent abdominal pain with painless hematuria was presented in most cases.Hydronephrosis was demonstrated in radiographic images.IVP delineated the dilatation of the ureter and filling defects within the ureteral lumen in 5 cases.Computed tomography(CT)showed all abnormal changes of ureter and irregular intraluminal soft tissue masses in 6 cases.Moderate and low echoic structures were showed in ureters by US in 2 cases.Conclusion US and CT,as an important imaging modalities,can improve the diagnostic accuracy for ureteral polyps.