Objective To study the relationship of the antepartum foramen ovale (FO),the ratios of foramen ovale and aorta (FO/AO) and postpartum ostium secundum atrial septal defect (ASD).Methods Nine hundred fifty-eight fetuses were divided into 5 groups by gestational age,18-22 weeks,23-26 weeks,27-30 weeks,31-34 weeks,35-40 weeks.The diameter of FO and aortic (AO) and FO/AO were measured by fetal echocardiography,the postpartum echocardiography were followed up more than 12 months after birth.ANOVA was used to compare FO,AO,FO/AO with different gestational age.Regression equation estimate was used to compare the relationship of FO and AO with gestational age.Independent sample T test was used to compare FO and FO/AO with postpartum ostium secundum ASD and postpartum normal heart.Results There was significant difference in FO and AO among 5 groups(P =0.000),FO and AO increased with increasing gestational age.There was significant difference in antepartum FO,FO/AO between postpartum ostium secundum ASD and postpartum normal heart (P =0.000).Conclusions Antepartum FO and FO/AO provide clinical value in observing postpartum ostium secundum ASD.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of two dimensional echocardiography combining with enhanced flow (e-flow) imaging for fetal heart malformation.Methods 1580 cases were screened for fetal heart malformation.The diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by comparing the results fetal echocardiography with those of postpartum echocardiography,surgery or autopsy.Results Antepartum and postpartum data were obtained in 1286 of the 1580 fetuses (81.39％).Among the 1286 cases,the sensitivity,specificity,mistake diagnostic rate,omission diagnostic rate was 98.0 ％,99.3 ％,2.0 ％,0.7％,respectively.The consistency evaluation of fetal heart malformation by two dimensional echocardiography combining with e-flow concluded that the valve of Kappa was 0.970 (P =0.000).Conclusions Two dimensional echocardiography combining with e-flow is an accurate and reliable method for diagnosing fetal heart malformation,it has a high sensitivity and specificity.

Objective To access the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) graft late postoperative patency after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) by peripheral blood vessel ultrasound combined with color Doppler coronary flow imaging (CDCFI).In contrast with angiography,try to find available flow parameter to access graft patency.MethodsForty-six patients with CABG more than 1 year postoperatively followed-by angiography were detected by ultrasound.The LITA graft and left anterior descending artery were examined.Systolic and diastolic peak velocity(Smax,Dmax),velocity time integral(VTIs,VTId)of each segment were measured separately.The ratio of diastolic and systolic peak velocity (D/S),and diastolic velocity time integral fraction(DVTIF) were calculated.All patients were divided into groups according to angiography results.ResultsThirty -one LITA grafts were patent,11 were dysfunctional,4 were occlusive.According to the angiography results,the flow parameters of the proximal segment of LITA graft were significant.The D/S and DVTIF of patent group was higher than that of dysfunctional group.The diastolic peak velocity of distal segment of LAD of patent group was higher than that of dysfunctional group.ConclusionsPeripheral blood vessel ultrasound combined with CDCFI could provide the evidence to access the patency of the graft.It was an effective method for the clinical follow-up.

Objective To assess the effect of aortic valve replacement (AVR) on left ventricular (LV) twist function in severe aortic stenosis (AS) patients with preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF) by speckle tracking imaging (STI).Methods Twenty-eight severe aortic stenosis (AS) patients (17 male,age 64.1 ± 10.4 years) with normal LVEF (≥50％) were examined by STI before and six months after AVR.The standard mitral valve and apical short-axis views were obtained to analyze LV basal and apical peak systolic rotation.LV peak systolic twist was calculated as the different between apical rotation and basal rotation.LV fractional shortening (LVFS) was calculated as the percentage fall of LV systolic dimension with respect to diastolic dimension.The data were compared with 28 age and sex-matched normal controls.Results In patients,LVEF remained unchanged after AVR.LV twist increased before (19.7° ± 5.7° vs 12.9° ± 3.2°,P ＜0.001) because of increased apical rotation (13.0° ± 5.8° vs 7.6° ± 2.6°,P ＜0.001),and normalized after AVR (14.4°± 5.2°,P ＜0.001).In controls,LV twist correlated with LVFS (r =0.81,P ＜ 0.001),this relationship was reversed in patients before (r =0.52,P ＜0.01) and after AVR (r =0.34,P ＞0.05).Conclusions In patients with severe AS and normal LVEF,LV twist is exaggerated suggesting potential compensation for reduced long axis function.These disturbances normalize within six months of AVR but lose their relationship with basal LV function.

Objective With a newly developed ultrasoundbased technique named as echo tracking,to determine the carotid stiffness and compliance in familial hypercholesterolemia(FH) patients.Methods The study population included 8 FH patients with 3 male and 4 female at a mean age of((17.22)?(5.69)) years and 7 normal controls. With the echo tracking technique,the quantitative parameters of Ep,? and the arterial compliance(AC) were detected.Results Ep,? and AC of the subtotal FH patients were higher than that of controls,the statistical significance was found in ? of both common carotid arteries,Ep of right common artery and AC of left artery in two groups.Conclusions The echo tracking technique may be a promising modality for noninvasive estimation of the atherosclerotic proceeding in FH patients.

[Objective]This study was designed to construct a recombinant adenovirus vector contains LMP-1 gene,and investigate the osteoinductive activity of MSC which were transfected recombinated adenoviral vector carrying LMP-1 gene.[Methods]Total RNA was extracted from mt osteoblast and the LMP-1 gene was acquired by RT-PCR,the LMP-1 gene and entry vector pENTR/D-TOPO were used to create the entry clone with the directional TOPO clone technology,then the entry clone and the expression vector were used to create the expression clone throush the LR recombination reaction.The adenovirus expression clone was linearized by PacI and transfected to the 293A cell line to harvest a high titer.Ad-LMP-1 was infected into the 3rd passage MSC,the expression of LMP-1 was detected by Western blot.The osteogenic activity of MSC was evaluated by the expression of collagen Ⅰ,ALP,osteocalcin and the formation of bone nodule.[Result]The LMP-1 gene was successfully acquired and confirmed,the entry clone and the expression clone were both verified by enzymes digestion,and the expression clone was further confirmed by sequenced.The expression of LMP-1 was detected successfully in MSC.The increasing expression of collagen Ⅰ,osteocalcin.ALP and bone nodule were observed by comparing to the control group.[Conclusion]Gateway technology not only make construction of the pAd-LMP-1 recombination adenovirus vector simple and fast,but also get a high transfection efficacy in MSC.LMP-1 gene can induce the osteoblast differention of MSCs,and improve its osteogenic activity.The adenovirus vector is reliable to be used in further gene therapy research.

Objective To describe the characteristics of the criss-cross heart with comprehensively segmental echocardiographic scanning in order to explore the diagnostic value of the echocardiography.Methods Ten cases of criss-cross heart were retrospectively reviewed with 2-dimensional,color Doppler echocardiography to summarize the main diagnostic methods.Results The right ventricle was located superiorly and the left ventricle inferiorly in 9 patients and paralleled alignment in 1.The solitus situs was observed in 9 patients and dextrocardia in 1;the atrioventricular connections were concordant in 8 patients and discordant in 2.Echocardiography revealed that 5 patients presented with transposition of great artery and 5 with double outlet of right ventricle as well as all with ventricular septum defect.Conclusions Clear visualization is available with echocardiography to show the crossing inflow streams at the level of atrial-ventricular valve,abnormal alignment of the ventricular septum as well as the associated abnormalities.

Objective To discuss the worthiness of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography in researching normal fetal heart ventricle growth and systolic function. Methods End-systolic volume(EDV),end-diastolic volume(ESV), struggle volume(SV) and ejection fraction(EF) of 54 normal fetal were acquired from 3-D data by Qlab software. The relation between ventricular growth with pregnant week was analysed and the difference of the volume and systolic function between left ventricle with right ventricle were compared. Results Ventricular volume of normal fetal heart (EDV,ESV,SV) were all increased with the gestational ages,there was linear relativity between them,while EF was not increased with pregnant weeks,there was no linear relativity between them. There was no statistics difference on EDV and ESV between left ventricle and right ventricle, while there was statistics difference on SV, EF between them. Conclusions The image of fetal endocarium could be derived clearly by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography, which help to get fetal heart ventricular volume and to study fetal heart growth and function.

Objective To explore the important anatomic structures associated with pulmonary veins and similar sections to transthoraeic echocardiography using 64一slice spiral CT and tO locate the pulmonary veins on echocardiography. Methods The transthoracic echocardiography and 64-slice spiral CT were performed in 12 patients with atrial fibrillation.The 3-dimensional information of four pulmonary veins on CT was analyzed and the relationship between the locations of four pulmonary veins and adjacent anatomic structures were observed.The comparison of CT and echocardiography for assessing the location of pulmonary veins was performed.Results All of the pulmonary veins were demonstrated optimally without abnormal structures and anatomic variations.The ostium of right superior pulmonary vein adjoined the atrial septum and the proximal of the right superior pulmonary vein was near to the superior vena cava.The right inferior superior pulmonary was a little bit far from atrial septum.The left superior pulmonary vein adjoined the left atrial auricle.The left inferior pulmonary vein was a little bit far from the 1eft atrial auricle and adjoined the thoracic descending aorta.According to adjusting the angle of the probe on echocardiography,the four pulmonary veins could be demonstrated in the standard parasternal left ventricular long-axis view, parasternal short-axis view and apical four chamber view.The non-standard views assisted in identifying the pulmonary veins.Conclusions Transthoracic echocardiography can demonstrate all the four pulmonary veins and also locate the spatial location based on the adjacent anatomic structures.

PURPOSE: C-end rule (CendR) peptides are found to enhance the penetration of chemotherapeutic agents into tumor cells, while GX1 is a peptide that homes to gastric cancer (GC) vasculature. This study aimed to synthesize a novel peptide GX1-RPAKPAR (GXC) and to explore the effect of GXC on sensitizing GC cells to chemotherapeutic agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Intracellular Adriamycin concentration analysis was applied to conform whether GXC peptide increases the penetration of chemotherapeutic agents into GC cells in vitro. The effect of GXC peptide on sensitizing GC cells to chemotherapeutics was validated by apoptosis assay and in vitro/vivo drug sensitivity assay. The specificity of GXC to GC tissue was validated by ex vivo fluorescence imaging. RESULTS: In vitro, administration of GXC significantly increased Adriamycin concentrations inside SGC-7901 cells, and enhanced the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents by decreasing the IC50 value. In vivo, FITC-GXC specifically accumulated in GC tissue. Moreover, systemic co-injection with GXC peptide and Adriamycin statistically improved the therapeutic efficacy in SGC-7901 xenograft models, surprisingly, without obviously increasing side effects. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that co-administration of the novel peptide GXC with chemotherapeutic agents may be a potential way to enhance the efficacy of anticancer drugs in GC treatment.
Apoptosis ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy* ; Heterografts ; In Vitro Techniques ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Optical Imaging ; Peptides ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stomach Neoplasms*