Left atrial appendage ( LAA) arises from the left atrial free wall. It is the remnant of the original embryonic LA, distinct from the rest of the left atrium. It has a unique anatomical structure, physiological function, hemodynamic characteristics. LAA has complex surrounding structures, great variability, and close relation with thrombosis. This paper reviews the morphological and functional characteristics of LAA. Familiar with adjacent relationship of LAA and correlation between LAA and thrombus formation has important clinical significance that can reduce the risk of postoperative complications in interventional procedures, the incidence of car?dioembolic stroke, the clinical misdiagnosis on LAA thrombosis.

Objective:To prepare injectable interferon ?-2b(IFN-?-2b) loaded microsphere and develop a long-acting dosage form.Methods: IFN-?-2b loaded microspheres were prepared with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)(PLGA) as carrier material by double emulsion(w/o/w) method and solid in oil in oil(s/o/o) method separately.Physical and chemical characteristics of microspheres(mean diameter,morphology and drug entrapment efficiency) were evaluated;the in vitro release behavior and influencing factors of the microspheres were determined by micro-BCA(bicinchoninic acid) method;and IFN-?-2b stability during encapsulation and in vitro release was evaluated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electropheresis.Results: The 2 types of microspheres produced had good shape and dispersive quality and a drug entrapment efficiency of more than 80%.IFN-?-2b bulk ultrafitration can significantly influence the mean diameter and in vitro release behavior of microspheres prepared by w/o/w method.The accumulated release(within 1 month) of the microspheres prepared by both methods was significantly improved when using PLGA with lower inherent viscosity.SDS-PAGE test showed aggregation of IFN-?-2b with s/o/o method,while there was no difference between the electrophoretic behavior of bulk IFN-?-2b and IFN-?-2b in microspheres prepared by w/o/w method.Conclusion: IFN-?-2b can be encapsulated into injectable microspheres to yield a one-month continuous release by both w/o/w method and s/o/o method.

A complex disease is rarely a consequence of abnormality in a single gene. It is known that many drugs exhibit a therapeutic effect by acting on multiple targets, produce synergies to intervene the occurrence and development of diseases. Unlike the traditional methods which act on single molecule or pathway, this disease-drug target network constructed with high throughput data vividly showed the complex relationship between drugs, their targets and diseases. However, the networks are usually extremely complex. In order to reduce the complexity, it is necessary to deconstruct the network and identify module structures. In this study, framework of module analysis was summarized from four aspects: module concept, structure and identification methods, importance of disease-drug module identification, and its application. Module-based analysis provides a new perspective for deciphering the drug intervention mechanisms for complex diseases, and provides new ideas and pathways to reveal the mechanisms of multi-target and multi-component drugs.
Drug Delivery Systems ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; drug effects ; Humans ; Molecular Targeted Therapy

Objective To explore the clinicopathological features of IgA nephrolpathy associated with malignant hypertension (IgAN-MHT) and to analyze their correlation with renal vascular lesions. Methods Twenty-nine patients of IgAN-MHT were screened from 2000 biopsy-proven eases with primary IgA nephropathy (IgAN) in our department from April 1997 to May 2007. Data of clinicopathology and follow-up of these 29 patients were collected. Semi- quantitative analysis was performed to evaluate the pathological changes. Inner lumen, outer lumen, intimal thickness, tunica media-to-internal lumen ratio of 436 arterioles, 124 interlobular arteries and 5 arcuate arteries were measured. The primary endpeint was the composite of a doubling of serum creatinine level and ESRD. Correlations of renal vascular lesions with clinical manifestation, pathological change and prognosis were examined by Spearman and Cox methods. Results 1.5% of all the IgAN patients presented malignant hypertension. The common clinical features were renal failure (100%), hyperurieacidemia (62.7%) and hypertriglyceridemia (51.7%). The average amount of urine protein excretion was 2.8 g/d. The common pathological changes were moderate mesangial proliferation, severe global sclerosis, severe interstitial inflammation and severe interstitial- tubular fibrosis. The small arteries (arcuate arteries and interlobular arteries) and arterioles (afferent arterioles) were both involved in IgAN-MHT. The characteristic lesions of intrarenal arteries included vascular occlusion, media thickening, proliferative endarteritis (onionskin lesion, musculomucoid intimal hyperplasia), hyaline arteriosclerosis, but mainly vascular occlusion (86.2%). The arteriole lesion was negatively correlated with age and total protein level; vascular occlusion was positively correlated with uric acid level. The average foUow-up period was 21.1 months. Forteen patients reached the endpoint. The arteriole lesion was the main independent risk factor for the progression of IgAN-MHT (RR=10.21, 95%CI=1.16～89.67). Conclusions The main clinical feature of IgAN-MHT is renal failure. The main histological feature of intrarenal vascular lesions is occludes arterioles. Arteriole lesion is the main independent risk factor for the progression of IgAN-MHT.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of emodin on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress of pancreatic acinar AR42J cells.

METHODRat pancreatic acinar AR42J cells were cultured in 6-well plates, and divided into the normal control group, the model group (with the final concentration at 1 x 10(-7) mol · L(-1) for cerulean and lipopolysaccharide at 10 mg · L(-1)) and the emodin group (10, 20, 40 μmol · L(-1)). Cells in each group were cultured in three multiple pores for 24 h, and their supernate was removed after cell attachment. The normal control group was added with haploids, the model group was added with the modeling liquid for haploids, and the treatment groups were added with different concentrations of emodin at 15-20 min before the modeling liquid. The cells were continuously cultured for 3 h under 37 °C and 5% CO2. Their intracellular protease and lipase expressions were detected with kits. The cellular morphology was observed under optical microscope. The level of calcium in endoplasmic reticulum was measured under laser confocal microscopy. Western blot assay were used to determine the protein expression of ER-related signaling molecules.

RESULTEmodin could significantly inhibit levels of amylase, lipase and intracellular calcium and ER.

CONCLUSIONEmodin could reduce pancreatic acinar cell injury induced by the combination of cerulean and lipopolysaccharide. Its action mechanism is correlated with the inhibition of intracellular calcium overload and ER stress.

Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Emodin ; pharmacology ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ; drug effects ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rats ; Unfolded Protein Response ; drug effects

Objective Allograft vasculopathy (AV), feature of chronic rejection, is a major serious long-term post-operation complication in organ transplantation. The accurate mechanisms for AV have not been definitively established, but extensive basic and clinical studies demonstrate AV is triggered by immune reaction and nonimmunologic factors, and also possibly attributed to the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). Methods The transplanted hearts from Lewis to Sprague-Dawely rats served as allografts and those from Lewis to Lewis rats as isografts based on Ono 's model. The differential proteins in transplanted hearts were separated by comparative proteomic technique, and some enzymes which regulated the metabolism of BCAA were identified and validated.Results All transplanted hearts at second week postoperation were characterized by lumen loss (total area-luminal area/total area) in coronary artery, but more predominant at 8th week. All samples from the left ventricles were analyzed by proteomic techniques and the subunits E1 a, E1β and E3 of branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) complex were decreased in the heart allografts.Immunohistological detection also showed the expression of BCKDH was reduced not only in the cardiac muscle but also more significantly in blool vessels with cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV).BCAA concentrations were increased in the cardiac allografts, but there was no difference in the serum. Conclusion These findings suggest that the catabolic pathways of the BCAA may be inhibited owing to the reduced expression of BCKDH complex, and elevated intracellular concentrations of leucine. The vascular smooth muscle cell and cardiac muscle cell proliferation is stimulated via mTOR-dependent and mTOR-independent pathways, which is associated with the formation of myocardial hypertrophy and AV in the heart allografts.

Objective: To investigate the changes of myo cardial contractile function during myocardial stunning in calcium overload rats and the protective effects of tetrandrine. Methods: Forty-six rats were randomized into control, myocardial ischemia, myocardial stunning, low and high dose of tetrandrine groups. Another 10 rats were used to identify the calcium overload. vitamin D3 (0.3 million Unit/kg) and nicotinic acid were adm inistered. After 16 d when calcium overload occured, left anterior descending ar tery was ligated. Twenty minutes of myocardial ischemia followed by 60 min of re perfusion was induced. The contractile function parameters were determined dynam ically. At the end of experiment, myocardial cytosolic ［Ca2+］i was deter mined in various groups. In tetrandrine groups, tetrandrine (62.2 or 93.6 μmol/ kg ) was administered by gastrogavage daily.After 16 d, the rats undergone the e xperiments mentioned above. Results: Sixteen days after vitamin D3 , nicotinic acid were given, ［Ca2+］i increased by 2.6 folds (146.8±10.8 ) vs (368.5±22.6) nmol/L, (P<0.01). Whereas, ［Ca2+］i in tetrand rine groups were (210.8±16.4) and (198.6±15.3) nmol/L, which were significantl y lower than that of calcium overload group. Twenty minutes of myocardial ische mia resulted in the decrease of dp/dtmax and Vmax in all groups with the most si gnificant in stunning and calcium overload groups. The contractile function rest ored gradually after reperfusion. At all time points, dp/dtmax and Vmax in both tetrandrine groups were higher than those in both stunning and calcium overload groups. And effect with higher dose of tetrandrine were more significant than in low dose of tetrandrine. After 60 min of reperfusion, dp/dtmax in stunning, cal cium overload, low and high dose of tetrandrine groups were 49.7%, 51.5%, 71.0% and 83.4% of that in control, respectively， and Vmax were 55.0%, 49.8%, 73.9% and 77.5% of that in control, respectively. Conclusion: T he myocardial contractile function in vitamin D3-induced calcium overload gro up is impaired. On basis of myocardiocyte calcium overload, transient ischemia l eads to myocardial stunning. At the stage of ischemia, the impaired degree of my ocardial contractile function is similar to that in stunning group, suggesting a t this stage the effect of ischemia on myocardial function is greater than that of calcium overload. Tetrandrine chronically improves the myocardial function in Vitamin D3-induced calcium overload rats.

Objective To explore the preparation and quality control of As2 O3 nanoparticle .Methods PEG‐PLA was used as the vector material to prepare As2 O3 nanoparticle with ultrasonic emulsification method ,and the VEGFR‐2 was coupled to obtain VEGFR‐2/As2 O3‐PEG‐PLA nanoparticle .The particle size distribution ,Zata potential ,loading efficiency (LE) ,encapsulation effi‐ciency(EE) ,drug release in vitro and stability was determined ,and morphological characteristics was observed by transmission elec‐tron microscope(TEM) .Tweety‐four hepatocellular carcinoma nude mices were randomly divided into VEGFR‐2/As2O3‐PEG‐PLA nanoparticles group and As2 O3‐PEG‐PLA nanoparticles group ,by tail vein injection of nanoparticles .High performance liquid chro‐matography was used to determine content of As2 O3 .After 21 d ,six nude mices in each group were killed ,and the immunohisto‐chemistry and western blot method was used to detect the expression of VEGFR‐2 .Results The particle size of VEGFR‐2/As2 O3‐PEG‐PLA was determined to be (141 .9 ± 13 .2)nm ,Zata potential was (10 .2 ± 1 .1)mV .It was found to spherical or oval shape , with uniform size and dispersibility under TEM .LE and EE was (5 .51 ± 1 .83)% and (62 .12 ± 5 .98)% ,respectively .Drug release in vitro showed that VEGFR‐2/As2 O3‐PEG‐PLA exhibited controlled release effect ,with half of the release time as 10 h .Besides , VEGFR‐2/As2 O3‐PEG‐PLA showed a good stability in 3 days .Compared with As2 O3‐PEG‐PLA nanoparticles group ,the concen‐tration of As2 O3 in tumor and liver tissue was high ,the concentration of As2 O3 in blood ,heart ,kidney tissue was low ,the expression of VEGFR‐2 in tumor tissue was low in VEGFR‐2/As2O3‐PEG‐PLA nanoparticles group(P< 0 .05) .Conclusion The prepared As2 O3 nanoparticle using PEG‐PLA as vector and VEGFR‐2 as target showed uniform size ,high EE and LE ,good stability .And it preliminarily proved that VEGFR‐2 could be targeted in nude mice .

Objective The study of capsaicin (CAP) on the effect and mechanism of indomethacin induced acute gastric mucosal injury in different period.Methods 80 SD rats were randomly divided into 8 groups with 10 rats in each group.The experiment was completed in two phases,and the Ⅰ period was 2 weeks,the Ⅱ period was 4 weeks.The Ⅰ period including group A1 (control group),group B1 (model group),group C1 (CAP group),group D1 (CAP + indomethacin group).The grouping method of the two periods were the same.The rats' gastric mucosa were damaged by indomethacin,and then killed the rats 4 hours later.Last,astric juice was collected to determine the total acidity of gastric acid,counted thegastric mucosal injury index,observed the gastric mucosa pathological injury,detected the expression of TRPV 1、CGRP、MDA、SOD and PGI2.Results The Ⅰ period:the gastric mucosa of group A1 and C1 had no damage.Group D1 compared with group B1,there was no significant difference in gastric mucosa injury (P ＞ 0.05),total acidity decreased significantly (P ＜ 0.05),MDA was no significant difference (P ＞ 0.05),SOD、PGI2 increased significantly (P ＜ 0.05),the expression of TRPV1、CGRP increased significantly (P ＜ 0.05).The Ⅱperiod:the gastric mucosa of group A2 and C2 had no damage.Group D2 compared with group B2,the gastric mucosa injury were significantly reduced (P ＜ 0.05),total acidity decreased significantly (P ＜ 0.05),MDA decreased significantly (P ＜ 0.05),SOD、PGI2 increased significantly (P ＜ 0.05),the expression of TRPV1、CGRP increased significantly (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion There was no damage to the general morphology and histology of gastricmucosa in rats by intragastric CAP 1 mg/(kg· d) for 2 weeks and 4 weeks.2.It could prevent that indomethacininduced acute gastric mucosal injury in rats by pretreated with CAP 1 mg(kg· d) for 4weeks.

15mm~2)of dural sac cross-sectional area to values smaller than 75 mm~2 was found during examination in axial loading,or if a suspected disc herniation,narrow lateral recess,narrow intervertebral foramen,or intraspinal synovial cyst changed to being obvious at the axial loading examination,they were regarded as additional information.Results After axial loading CT examination,AVI was found in 16 of 40 patients.A significant decrease of dural sac area was found in 13 patients.Intervertebral disc herniation was more severe in 7 patients,lateral recess or interverbral foramen narrowed in 4 patients,no intraspinal synovial cyst was found.After axial loading MRI examination,AVI was found in 19 of 60 patients.A significant decrease of dural sac area was found in 13 patients.Intervertebral disc herniation became severe in 10 patients,lateral recess or interverbral foramen narrowed in 8 patients,no intraspinal synovial cyst was found.AVI was found in 32 of 79(40.5%)patients with sciatica and 2 of 20(10.0%)patients with low back pain(?~2=7.45 P