AIM AND METHODSTo study the roles of carbon monoxide on hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) by investigating the effects of exogenous carbon monoxide and heme oxygenase inhibitor ZnPPIX on hypoxic vasoconstriction reaction of isolated rat pulmonary arterial rings (PAR).

RESULTSHypoxia caused constriction in PAR preconstricted by PE. Both ZnPPIX and carbon monoxide inhibited hypoxic pulmonary constriction significantly by increasing the cGMP level after hypoxia.

CONCLUSIONZnPPIX and exogenous carbon monoxide can inhibit HPV. The reduction of cGMP induced by the decreased of CO may be one of reasons of HPV.

Animals ; Carbon Monoxide ; physiology ; Hypoxia ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Pulmonary Artery ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Vasoconstriction ; physiology

The present study investigates the vasodilative action of carbon monoxide on rat pulmonary artery in vitro. After isolation of the pulmonary artery rings (PAR) from Wistar rats, an ACh concentration-response curve was generated; the PARs were incubated with the NOS inhibitor L-NAME (30 micromol/L, n=10) or the heme oxygenase inhibitor ZnPPIX (10 micromol/L)+L-NAME (30 micromol/L, n=10) for 30 min. After that, a second ACh concentration-response curve was elicited. Other isolated PARs were randomly divided into two groups: endothelium-intact group (n=8) and endothelium-denuded group (n=8). The effect of exogenous carbon monoxide (CO) on pulmonary arterial vessel tone was observed. The results showed that ACh induced a concentration-dependent pulmonary vasorelaxation. This relaxation disappeared after endothelium was denuded. The ACh induced relaxation was attenuated after pretreatment with 30 micromol/L L-NAME, and attenuated further after pretreatment with 10 micromol/L ZnPPIX+30 micromol/L L-NAME. Exogenous carbon monoxide relaxed pulmonary artery in both the endothelium-intact group and the endothelium-denuded group. These data suggest that ZnPPIX inhibits ACh induced endothelium-dependent pulmonary artery relaxation and that CO is an endothelium-derived relaxation factor, and exogenous CO can relax pulmonary artery.
Acetylcholine ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Carbon Monoxide ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Endothelium, Vascular ; drug effects ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) ; antagonists & inhibitors ; In Vitro Techniques ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; pharmacology ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Protoporphyrins ; pharmacology ; Pulmonary Artery ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Vasodilation ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the allocation and management of large medical equipment (LME) in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, in order to make the best use of LME to meet the medical needs of local people.

METHODSThe research collected data from all hospitals that have LME in Xuzhou using questionnaire; 38 (97.4%) hospitals returned the questionnaire.

RESULTSIn Xuzhou, there are a total of 71 pieces of LME, each serving 126 600 people in an area of 163 km(2). Sixty-two percent of them are allocated in urban areas, with Gini coefficient at 0.52, indicating imbalance and biased allocation of LME.

CONCLUSIONThe allocation of LME in Xuzhou is out of control and unfairly allocated.

China ; Equipment and Supplies ; Hospitals ; Medical Laboratory Science ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective To summarize our experience of simple neuroendoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenoma and discuss its advantages. Methods Forty-two patients with pituitary adenoma diagnosed by CT or MRI detection (diameters of the tumor: <1cm in 11 patients, 1-2cm in 11, 2-3cm in 18, >3cm in 8) were treated by simple neuroendoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery. During transsphenoidal approach, the nasal mucosa was not incised and the nasal septum and median nasal conchae were not dissected. Under neuroendoscopic assistance, the anterior wall of the sphenoidal sinus and sellae base was opened directly and adenoma resection was performed. Results All the patients were followed up for 1-12 months. By postoperative MRI detection, adenomas were resected completely in 38 patients, subtotally in 4 cases. Rapid improvement of vision was noted postoperatively. The increased hormonal level in 18 of 22 patients was decreased to normal postoperatively and another 4 cases improved clinically in serum hormone levels during follow-up. Postoperative transient CSF leakage occurred in 6 cases and transient diabetes insipidus in 23 cases. Conclusions The simple neuroendoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adanoma is safe, time-saving and without severe complications, provides a satisfactory deep illumination and a panoramic operative field. The injury to the patient and postoperative complications are less. The clinical application of the neuroendoscopy for pituitary adenoma is worthy of recommending.

Twenty-four isolates of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) prevailing during 1997 -- 2005 in China were collected. These isolates were purified by CEF plaque assay and replicated in SPF chicken embryos. The hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) genes of these viruses were cloned and sequenced. The HN gene sequences of thirty-six NDV reference strains in GenBank were also used in this study. The amino acid homologing of these viruses were compared and analyzed. The correlations among different fragments of HN gene were also analyzed. The results indicated that the homology of Chinese field NDV strains was 94.4%-99.4%, but 86.9%-89% compared with LaSota and Clone30, 87.9%-89.9% to F48E9, and 87.2%-96.2% to foreign NDV strains. There had the nearest distances among Chinese NDV isolates as compared with that of the LaSota, Clone30 and F48E9 by the phylogenetic tree. However, the distances of seven foreign NDV isolates were very close to Chinese NDV isolates as compared with these of the other foreign NDV isolates. We also found that all the Chinese field isolates were devoid of glycosylation site in position 538 -- 540. There were good correlations between different length amino acid fragments and the genomes of HN, especially the 5'-terminus first 80aa.
Animals ; Chick Embryo ; Chickens ; China ; HN Protein ; genetics ; Newcastle disease virus ; classification ; genetics ; Phylogeny

The study was aimed to investigate the expression of stromal cell derived factor (SDF-1) in bone marrow (BM) and its relation with apoptosis of BM CD34(+) cell and angiogenesis in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). 40 patients with MDS were divided into low-risk group and high-risk group according to IPSS score system. BM samples were collected. SDF-1 levels, the apoptosis of CD34(+) cells and microvessel density (MVD) of BM were detected by ELISA, flow cytometry and immunochemistry, respectively. The results showed that the SDF-1 level in MDS patients was significantly higher than that in normal controls(p < 0.05), and SDF-1 level in low-risk group was significantly higher than that in high-risk group. Apoptosis of CD34(+) cells significantly increased in low-risk group compared with other groups (p < 0.05). MVD in BM biopsy significantly increased in high-risk MDS group (p < 0.05), compared with low-risk MDS group which also had higher MVD than the control group (p < 0.05). Positive correlation was found between apoptosis of CD34(+) cells and SDF-1 levels in low-risk group, and SDF-1 level and MVD in high-risk group. It is concluded that the expression of SDF-1, apoptosis of BM CD34(+) cells and MVD were significantly abnormal in MDS patients, especially in different risk group, suggesting that SDF-1 level is related to cell apoptosis and angiogenesis.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Apoptosis ; Bone Marrow ; metabolism ; Chemokine CXCL12 ; metabolism ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDBladder recurrent disease is still a challenge in the treatment of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). This controlled study aims to investigate the efficacy of early clipping of the distal ureter prior to nephroureterectomy (NU) to prevent bladder recurrence after UTUC.

METHODSPatients with clinical diagnosis of UTUC were subjected to open trans-peritoneal NU and were randomly divided into two groups. One group received modified NU: clipping the distal ureter prior to NU; while the other group underwent traditional standard NU. Subsequent bladder recurrence was the primary endpoint.

RESULTSFrom January 2007 to December 2009, 85 eligible cases were enrolled in this study. Modified NU and standard NU were performed on 42 and 43 patients, respectively. Operation time ((215.73 ± 21.26) minutes vs. (220.19 ± 15.35) minutes), blood loss ((105.15 ± 11.32) ml vs. (110.12 ± 9.07) ml), transfusion event (11.20% vs. 9.78%), and the in-patient time (10.0 days vs 9.5 days) were not significant between the two groups. After a median follow-up of 28 months (5 - 60), six (14.3%) cases who received modified NU had bladder recurrence, which was significantly lower compared with 15 (34.9%) patients from the group that underwent standard NU (P = 0.026). In univariate and multivariate analysis, tumor grade (HR 4.33, 95%CI 2.66 - 6.30, P = 0.01) and operation type (HR 2.35, 95%CI 1.53 - 3.48, P = 0.041) were independent risk factors for subsequent bladder recurrence after UTUC.

CONCLUSIONSClipping the distal ureter at the beginning of NU significantly reduces bladder recurrence after UTUC. It is reasonable to conclude that clipping the distal portion of ureter trans-peritoneal is an effective surgical procedure for the treatment of UTUC.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; prevention & control ; Nephrectomy ; methods ; Ureter ; surgery ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; surgery

Clinical breakpoints are used in phaseⅡorⅢclinical trials to categorize microorganisms if susceptibility to new tested antibacterial agents that means the patient infected by the pathogen will be enrolled the study or not.The role of this consensus is to define procedure and required data to setting breakpoints and how to revaluate it in clinical trials.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy of periprostatic nerve block anesthesia (PPNB) for pain relief in transrectal ultrasound-guided systematic prostate biopsy (PBx).

METHODSWe reviewed the data of patients undergoing initial PBx at our center from November, 2013 to January, 2015. Only the patients with 12-core systemic PBx were included and 111 patients were eligible for this study, among whom 52 patients received PPNB and 59 did not. PPNB was achieved by an injection of 5 mL of 1% lidocaine at the angle between the seminal vesicle and base of the prostate on each side before biopsy. The DRE pain score, probe insert pain score, and biopsy pain score were assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) immediately after the biopsy. The complications were recorded and evaluated immediately after and at 7 days after the biopsy.

RESULTSThe mean age, prostate volume, total prostate specific antigen (tPSA), free PSA (fPSA), and abnormal DRE were comparable between the 2 groups (P>0.05). Immediately after the biopsy, no difference was found between the 2 groups in DRE pain score (1.40±0.98 vs 1.39±0.91, P=0.102) or probe insert pain score (2.07±0.96 vs 2.03±0.90, P=0.960), but the biopsy pain score was significantly lower in PPNB group than in no PPNB group (2.54±1.42 vs 3.07±1.43, P=0.033). The incidence of the procedure-related complications was similar between the 2 groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONPPNB can significantly lower the biopsy pain score in PBx without increasing the incidence of complications.

Biopsy ; Humans ; Lidocaine ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Nerve Block ; Pain ; prevention & control ; Pain Management ; methods ; Pain Measurement ; Prostate ; diagnostic imaging ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; blood ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Ultrasonography

Purpose To explore the β-catenin role in the process of invasion and metastasis of esophageal cancer.Methods Transfection-effective β-catenin gene segments of siRNA interference in human esophageal Eca-109 cells was used to downregulate β-catenin expression:CCK-8 multiplication experiment was carried out to observe the esophageal cancer cell proliferation.Transwell chambers experiment was used to observe its invasion,migration ability.Western blot was used to detect the expression of WISP2 and TCF4,E-cadherin protein.Results CCK-8 multiplication experiment showed that in the interference group (the efficient transfection of β-catenin down-regulation group by siRNA) cell proliferation ability significantly decreased as compared with the blank control group (the untreated group)and the negative control group (the transfection group meaningless fragments) (P ＜ 0.05),and there was no statistical significance between the blank and negative control groups (P ＞0.05).The invasion and migration ability of the interference group was lower than that in the blank control group and the negative control group (P ＜ 0.05) by the transwell chambers experiment.Western blot showed that the protein lever of WISP2 and E-cadherin in interference group was higher than those in the blank control group and the negative control group (P ＜ 0.05).TCF4 protein expression in the interference group was lower than that of the blank control group and the negative control group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions After the β-catenin expression is down-regulated,Wnt signaling pathway-related factors are significantly changed.It can be speculated that the silencing of β-catenin in Wnt signaling pathway may hinder the esophageal cancer cell proliferation by up-regulating E-cadherin expression to obstruct epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and to inhibit tumor cell proliferation.Invasion and metastasis of the tumor are also inhibited by reducing TCF4 expression and promoting WISP2 downstream target genes expression.Therefore,β-catenin gene is expected to be a target for the treatment of esophageal cancer.