AIMTo investigate the role of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) in the cardioprotection by remote preconditioning (RPC).

METHODSRemote Precondition (RPC) was induced in anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats by three cycles of 5 min of right femoral artery occlusion followed by 5 min of reperfusion. Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury was achieved by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min and then reperfusion for 120 min. Infarct size was determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining method. The level of lactate dehydragenase (LDH) in plasma and the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) were measured.

RESULTSRPC significantly decreased the infarct size and plasma lactate dehydrogenase level induced by I/R, and these effects were attenuated by atractyloside (Atr, 5 mg/kg), a MPTP activator. However, administration of cyclosporin A (CsA, 10 mg/kg), an inhibitor of MPTP, decreased the effect of I/R. In isolated ventricular myocytes loaded with calcein, RPC decreased the MPTP opening, and this effect was attenuated by Atr (20 micromol/L).

CONCLUSIONInhibition of MPTP opening is involved in the cardioprotection by RPC.

Animals ; Extremities ; blood supply ; Ischemic Preconditioning ; methods ; Male ; Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins ; physiology ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

AIMTo investigate whether mitochondrial calcium uniporter participates in the cardioprotection of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) pretreatment in isolated rat hearts subjected to ischemia/reperfusion.

METHODSIsolated perfused rat hearts were subjected to 30 min regional ischemia (occlusion of left anterior descending artery) and 120 min reperfusion. The infarct size, coronary flow (CF) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release during reperfusion were measured. The mitochondria of the heart were isolated and suspended in the swelling buffer for measurement of absorbance at 520 nm.

RESULTSPretreatment with TNFa at 10 U/ml for 7 min followed by 10 min washout reduced the infarct size and LDH release, and improved the recovery of CF during reperfusion. Administration of spermine (20 micromol/L), an opener of mitochondrial calcium uniporter, for 10 min during early reperfusion attenuated the reduction of infarct size and LDH release, and improvement of CF induced by TNFalpha. In isolated mitochondria of the heart pretreated with TNFalpha, the absorbance at 520 nm decreased less than that of mitochondria without TNFalpha pretreatment. Administration of spermine (50 micromol/L) attenuated the change of the absorbance induced by TNFalpha.

CONCLUSIONThe findings indicate that TNFalpha protects myocardium against ischemia/reperfusion injury via inhibiting mitochondrial calcium uniporter opening as well as mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening.

Animals ; Calcium Channels ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cardiotonic Agents ; pharmacology ; In Vitro Techniques ; Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial ; methods ; Male ; Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins ; drug effects ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spermine ; pharmacology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; pharmacology

To investigate the urination-reducing effect and mechanism of Zhuangyao Jianshen Wan (ZYJCW). In this study, SI rats were subcutaneously injected with 150 mg · kg(-1) dose of D-galactose to prepare the sub-acute aging model and randomly divided into the model group, the Suoquan Wan group (1.17 g · kg(-1) · d(-1)), and ZYJCW high, medium and low dose groups (2.39, 1.20, 0.60 g · kg(-1) · d(-1)) , with normal rats in the blank group. They were continuously administered with drugs for eight weeks. The metabolic cage method was adopted to measure the 24 h urine volume and 5 h water load urine volume in rats. The automatic biochemistry analyzer was adopted to detect urine concentrations of Na+, Cl-, K+. The ELISA method was used to determine serum aldosterone (ALD) and antidiuretic hormone (ADH). The changes in P2X1 and P2X3 mRNA expressions in bladder tissues of rats were detected by RT-PCR. According to the results, both ZYJCW high and medium dose groups showed significant down-regulations in 24 h urine volume and 5 h water load urine volume in (P <0.05, P <0.01), declines in Na+ and Cl- concentrations in urine (P <0.01), notable rises in plasma ALD and ADH contents (P <0.05, P <0.01) and remarkable down-regulations in the P2X1 and P2X3 mRNA expressions in bladder tissues (P <0.01). The ZYJCW low dose group revealed obvious reductions in Na+ and Cl- concentrations in urine (P <0.01). The results indicated that ZYJCW may show the urination-reducing effect by down-regulating the P2X1 and P2X3 mRNA expressions in bladder tissues of rats with diuresis caused by kidney deficiency.
Aging ; physiology ; Animals ; Diuresis ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Purinergic P2X1 ; genetics ; Receptors, Purinergic P2X3 ; genetics ; Urinary Bladder ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the mode of transmission and molecular characteristics on carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strain. Strains were isolated from different parts of samples in various patients.

METHODSClinical information of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates were stored and analyzed by WHONET 5.4 software. The transmission and pathopoiesis of the strains were learned through case file review. Genotypes of isolates were identified by pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and genes of carbapenemase were detected by multiple PCR, in order to find molecular characteristics and relatedness between strains.

RESULTS29 stains of Acinetobacter baumannii resistant to carbapenem were isolated from 2 or more kinds of samples among 13 patients'. Two genotypes were identified by PFGE: genotype A was obtained from 22 isolates in 11 patients and genotype B was obtained from 7 isolates in 4 patients. PCR amplification showed that all strains possessed OXA-23 gene except 1, and all strains possessed Integrase gene I except 3.

CONCLUSIONThere were 2 different genotypes from 29 strains of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii with Genotype A as the main type. OXA-23 carbapenemase gene and integrase gene I were detected from most of the isolates. All the strains could be easily transmitted in the body of the patients and among patients, hence becoming the epidemic pathogen of iatrogenic infection.

Acinetobacter Infections ; microbiology ; transmission ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; classification ; drug effects ; genetics ; Carbapenems ; pharmacology ; Cross Infection ; microbiology ; transmission ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Trichinella spiralis (T.spiralis) infection on the expression and distribution of colonic epithelial E-cadherin in mice and its mechanism.

METHODSBALB/c mice and STAT6-/- mice were infected with T.spiralis, and mice without infection were used as control. Seven days later, the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was infused by rectal enema. Serum HRP was detected in the subsequent 0, 60 and 120 minutes. Then the mice were sacrificed and colon was taken out. The distribution of E-cadherin in colon was detected by immunofluorescence staining, and the expression of E-cadherin was detected by Western blot. The expression of interleukin-4 (IL-4) in mesenteric lymph nodes was detected by ELISA.

RESULTSSerum HRP level in infected BALB/c mice was significantly higher than that in control mice (P<0.05), while it was not significantly different between infected STAT6-/- mice and controls (P>0.05). In infected BALB/c mice, E-cadherin located in cytoplasm of colonic epithelial cells, while in controls, it located in cellular membrane. E-cadherin expression down-regulated significantly in infected BALB/c mice as compared to controls. E-cadherin expression and distribution did not change obviously in infected STAT6-/- and control mice. IL-4 level in mesenteric lymph nodes of infected BALB/c mice [(193.0±12.5) μg/L] was significantly higher as compared to control BALB/c and infected STAT6-/- mice [(21.0±2.3) μg/L and (15.0±3.1) μg/L, all P<0.05].

CONCLUSIONT.spiralis infection can increase colonic epithelial permeability of mice, which may be associated with induction of Th2 cytokine secretion.

Animals ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Colon ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Interleukin-4 ; metabolism ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic ; metabolism ; Intestinal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Lymph Nodes ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Knockout ; Trichinella spiralis ; Trichinellosis ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo verify the predictive value of EuroSCORE of early mortality in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients.

METHODFrom January 2005 to March 2007, 310 consecutive patients were operated with CABG. Detailed data for the EuroSCORE risk factor were collected and all patients were scored according to the EuroSCORE additive model, retrospectively or prospectively. Expected or predicted mortality was calculated for individual patients using the EuroSCORE algorithms, arranged sequentially in order of predicted score. The population was divided into three clinically relevant risk categories according to the range of predicted mortality rate. Expected mortality was compared to observed or actual mortality for each risk category. Mortality was defined as death from any cause within 30 days of operation or within the same hospital admission.

RESULTSPreoperative overall patients: low-risk group was 25.2% (78/310), middle-risk group was 48.4% (150/310), high-risk group was 26.4% (82/310). In the EuroSCORE model, predicted mortality was 1.4% for low-risk group, 2.7% for middle-risk group, 7.4% for high-risk group, and 3.6% for overall patients. Actual mortality was 0, 1.3% and 3.7% respectively, overall early mortality was 1.6%. Area under the ROC curve was 0.78.

CONCLUSIONThe EuroSCORE yield good predictive value for hospital mortality of patients undergoing CABG, especially in off-pump CABG.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Algorithms ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; mortality ; Female ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Models, Statistical ; Predictive Value of Tests ; ROC Curve ; Risk Assessment ; methods ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo analyze early mortality risk factors and clinical characteristics in our patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

METHODSClinical data of 310 consecutive patients undergoing CABG from January 2005 to March 2007 were collected. Twenty-two risk factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate Logistic stepwise regression analysis.

RESULTSUnivariate statistical analysis revealed that factors significantly correlated with early death were 12 variables including age, diabetes, neurological dysfunction, old myocardial infarction, acute myocardial infarction, ejection function, left main artery stenosis, emergency procedure, cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross-calming time, and mechanical ventilation time. Logistic stepwise regression analysis showed that emergency procedure, ejection function, age, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and mechanical ventilation time were independent risk factor of early mortality after procedure.

CONCLUSIONEmergency procedure, ejection function, age, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and mechanical ventilation time are independent risk factors of early mortality after CABG procedure.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; mortality ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo explore the preventive effect of lanthanum chloride on enteral bacterial translocation in scalded rats.

METHODSNinety Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were employed in the study and randomly divided into three groups, i.e. normal control (A), burn control (B) and treatment (C) groups. Plasmid PUC19 labelled by JM109 was transfected to Escherichia coli (E. coli), so that restriction endonuclease finger - print image spectrum analysis could be applied to the tracing and quantification of the translocation of E. coli from intestine to mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) and blood. The intestinal tissue contents of endotoxin (ET), nitric oxide (NO), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined.

RESULTSIt was identified that the bacteria in MLNs and blood exhibited the same gene map with those from gastric gavage in B and C groups. But the bacterial quantity in MLNs in C group on 3 postburn day (PBD) was much lower than that in B group (P < 0.05). The intestinal MDA content in C group on 1 and 3 PBDs was obviously higher than that in B group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONBacteria (E. coli) could be translocated from gut to MLNs and blood, which could be evidently alleviated by lanthanum chloride by means of its bactericidal property, inhibition of NOS activity, so that NO production decreased, and its ability to increase SOD activity leading to less production of MDA.

Animals ; Burns ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Endotoxins ; blood ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli Infections ; blood ; microbiology ; prevention & control ; Female ; Intestines ; drug effects ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Lanthanum ; pharmacology ; Lymph Nodes ; drug effects ; microbiology ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; metabolism ; Mesentery ; drug effects ; microbiology ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; blood ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo assess the quality of life in cured patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

METHODSOne hundred and nineteen SARS outpatients, including 64 men and 55 women, with mean age (34.1 +/- 11.4) years and average days of discharge from hospital (28.0 +/- 12.8) days, were assessed by the St George's respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ), and 72 patients with spirometry test.

RESULTSThe patients had a moderately degree physiological impairment and increased SGRQ score. Scores of all four part of SGRQ correlated significantly with diffuse capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide/pre (DLco%). The correlation coefficients between the activation, impaction, total score, and diffuse capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide/alveolar ventilation/pre (DLco/Va%) were resembled (r = 0.47-0.54, P < 0.01). There was a significant relationship between the score of SGRQ and patients age, and gender. The time leaving hospital only had a significant relationship with the symptom score of SGRQ.

CONCLUSIONSSGRQ is a sensitive tool for assessing quality of life in cured SARS patients. The cured SARS patients' quality of life decrease moderately.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Convalescence ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Lung ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; physiopathology ; Sex Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of lanthanum chloride on expressions of collagen protein and find a way to prevent and treat scar.

METHODSFour linear incisions were made on the dorsal skin of an adult, female Sprague-Dawley rat as an animal model. One was non-manipulated as a control; the second was injected with distilled water as a sham-control; the third was injected with 50 mmol/L of lanthanum chloride, and the fourth was injected with 50 micrograms neutralizing antibody of TGF-beta 1 as a positive control. All of the wound tissues were harvested and assayed with ABC method in 14 days and 28 days after the surgery.

RESULTSThe expressions of type I, III and IV of collagen protein in the third group significantly reduced in 14 and 28 days after the operation, compared with the control or sham-control group. Its values wen as similar as the fourth group.

CONCLUSIONLanthanum chloride could inhibit the expressions of collagen protein, and it may be used to prevent and treat scars.

Animals ; Collagen ; biosynthesis ; drug effects ; Female ; Lanthanum ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Time Factors ; Wounds and Injuries ; metabolism