PURPOSE: Extensive data support the influence of the upper airway on lower airway inflammation and pathophysiology in allergic disease. However, few studies have focused on allergic inflammation in the nose after an isolated lower airway allergen challenge, a situation that can exist clinically when human subjects breathe primarily through the mouth, as occurs when nasally congested. This study used a mouse model to investigate whether upper airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness were induced by an isolated lower airway allergen challenge. METHODS: BALB/c mice were sensitized by systemic intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin/saline and challenged with intratracheal ovalbumin/saline. Inflammation in the nose and lungs was assessed by cytology and histology of nasal tissues and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), while nasal airway resistance and response were measured over 3 days post-challenge. RESULTS: Intratracheal application of an allergen in anaesthetized mice resulted in exclusive deposition in the lower airway. Compared to control animals, ovalbumin-sensitized mice after challenge showed bronchial hyperreactivity and increased IL-5 in the serum BALF, as well as eosinophil infiltration in the lungs. However, nasal histology of the ovalbumin-sensitized mice showed no increase in eosinophil infiltration. The nasal lavage fluid revealed no increase in eosinophils or IL-5, and the nasal airway resistance did not increase after challenge either. CONCLUSIONS: In a mouse allergy model, exclusive allergen challenge of the lower airway can elicit a pulmonary and systemic allergic response, but does not induce upper airway inflammatory or physiological responses.
Airway Resistance ; Animals ; Asthma* ; Bronchial Hyperreactivity ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Eosinophils ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Inflammation* ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Interleukin-5 ; Lung ; Mice ; Mouth ; Nasal Lavage Fluid ; Nose* ; Rhinitis

Objectiev To explore the use of different nebulizer to establish mice model that have airway eosinophilic inflam -mation without airway hyperresponsiveness .Methods Female BALB/c mice were obtained and divided randomly into 3 groups:eo-sinophilic airway inflammation group ( experimental group ) , asthma group, and control group .Mice were immunized with ovalbumin ( OVA) .The experiment group and asthma group were challenged with an aerosol of 1% w/v OVA using a PARI TIA and PARI LC STAR nebulizer on day 28, 29, 30, respectively.The control mice were received saline sensitization and challenge .Airway respon-siveness was measured .Cell different counts in bronchial alveolus lavage fluid ( BALF) were performed and a pathologist performed histopathological evaluation of the trachea and lung .Results Airway responsiveness in the experimental group was not significantly different compared with the normal saline ( NS) group but was significantly different compared with the asthma group .Eosinophils in BALF were increased significantly in experimental group compared with the NS group , and significant difference was observed between experimental group and asthma group .The intensity of airway inflammation in experimental group was milder than that in the asthma model .Conclusions We established an eosinophilic bronchitis mice model without hyperresponsiveness successfully .Our model es-tablished a foundation for the further research in airway hyperresponsiveness .

OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical value of dual-source CT (DSCT) in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

METHODSFifty-five patients with suspected coronary heart disease underwent both DSCT coronary angiography (DSCTCA) and selective coronary angiography (CAG) examination, and the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the DSCTCA was evaluated.

RESULTSThe sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and accuracy of DSCT in the diagnosis of coronary heart disease were 97.7%, 72.6%, 93.5%, 88.9% and 92.7% by the number of patients, respectively; by calculating the coronary arteries, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, accuracy were 94.9%, 95.8%, 92.5%, 97.1%, 95.5%, respectively. According to the lesion segment, these values were 88.2%, 96.9%, 90.5%, 96.1%, 94.7%, respectively. DSCTCA showed no significant difference from CAG for a diagnostic purpose, nor did their vessel sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and accuracy in different coronaries differ significantly.

CONCLUSIONDSCT has a diagnostic accuracy of coronary heart disease close to that CAG and can on some occasion serve as an alternative to CAG in the screening of coronary artery disease.

Adult ; Aged ; Coronary Angiography ; methods ; Coronary Artery Disease ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between vascular remodeling index (RI) and serum adiponectin, plasma monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), endothelial function and evaluate the mechanism of coronary in-stent restenosis.

METHODSRI 6 months after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), serum adiponectin, plasma MCP-1 and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) before and 3 days,6 months after PCI were measured in 30 patients with and 30 without coronary in-stent restenosis.

RESULTSCompared with patients without restenosis and those with restenosis before PCI, the patients with coronary in-stent restenosis showed significantly increased plasma MCP-1 3 days and 6 months after PCI (P<0.05) and reduced RI 6 months after PCI, serum adiponectin and FMD 3 days and 6 months after PCI (P<0.05). RI was positively correlated to serum adiponectin and FMD and inversely to MCP-1.

CONCLUSIONThe occurrence of coronary in-stent restenosis is the result of the interrelations between multiple factors.

Adiponectin ; blood ; Adult ; Aged ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Chemokine CCL2 ; blood ; Coronary Disease ; blood ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Coronary Restenosis ; blood ; etiology ; Endothelium, Vascular ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stents ; adverse effects