BACKGROUND: Pulmonary vein (PV) occlusion generally depends on repetitive contrast agent injection when cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). The present study was to compare the effect of cryoballoon ablation for AF guided by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) vs. contrast agent injection. METHODS: Eighty patients with paroxysmal AF (PAF) were enrolled in the study. About 40 patients underwent cryoballoon ablation without TEE (non-TEE group) and the other 40 underwent cryoballoon ablation with TEE for PV occlusion (TEE group). In the TEE group during the procedure, PVs were displayed in 3-dimensional images to guide the balloon to achieve PV occlusion. The patients were followed up at regularly scheduled visits every 2 months. RESULTS: No differences were identified between the groups in regard to the procedure time and cryoablation time for each PV. The fluoroscopy time (6.7 ± 4.2 min vs. 17.9 ± 5.9 min, P < 0.05) and the amount of contrast agent (3.0 ± 5.1 mL vs.18.1 ± 3.4 mL, P < 0.05) in the TEE group were both less than the non-TEE group. At a mean of 13.0 ± 3.3 mon follow-up, success rates were similar between the TEE group and non-TEE group (77.5% vs. 80.0%, P = 0.88). CONCLUSIONS Cryoballoon ablation with TEE for occlusion of the PV is both safe and effective. Less fluoroscopy time and a lower contrast agent load can be achieved with the help of TEE for PV occlusion during procedure.
Aged ; Atrial Fibrillation ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Contrast Media ; Cryosurgery ; methods ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; methods ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Veins ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

Repeated acute intermittent hypoxia promotes the expression of growth factors and neurotrophic factors, as well as the key molecules for neural protection and plasticity. Hypoxic preconditioning may improve the survival rate of transplant-ed stem cells and protect the neural function. Meanwhile, acute intermittent hypoxia can be an approach to improve re-spiratory function after spinal cord injury. Hyperbaric oxygen may improve the neural tolerance to hypoxia and isch-emia, to protect the structure of cells and tissues, and promote the neuranagenesis. It is important to study the role of hy-poxic and hyperoxic preconditioning in spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a disabling disease usually caused by trauma. The treatment and nursing of SCI patients has brought great economic burden to the society. This article introduced the mechanism of riluzole in treating spinal cord in-jury, including blocking Na+channels, reducing glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity, promoting the expression of neuro-trophic factors, and alleviating cellular oxidative stress damage and apoptosis, and the research progress on clinical trials of riluzole.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of total flavone of haw leaves (TFHL) on the expression of nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor (Nrf2) and other related factors in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) rats induced by high-fat diet and then to further discuss the mechanism of TFHL's prevention against NASH.

METHODSHigh-fat diet was fed to 40 rats to establish the NASH model. Then model rats were intragastrically administrated with 40, 80, 160 mg/(kg•day) TFHL, respectively. The pathological changes of liver tissues in NASH rats were detected by oil red O and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) stainings. The expression of Nrf2 in rat liver was examined through immunohistochemistry. The level of 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α in serum was detected through enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA and protein levels of Nrf2 and other related factors in liver tissue were measured by real-time reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction and western blot.

RESULTSLipid deposition, hepatic steatosis, focal necrosis in lobular inflammation and ballooning degeneration were emerged in livers of NASH rats. The 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α in the serum of NASH rats increased significantly compared with the control group (P<0.05). The mRNA of Nrf2, hemeoxyenase1 (HO-1) and the mRNA and protein levels of quinine oxidoreductase (NQO1) in NASH rats liver tissue showed a striking increase, while the mRNA levels of Keap1, r-glutamylcysteine synthethase (rGCS) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were significantly decreased compared with the control group (P<0.05). After TFHL treatment, 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α level in serum significantly decreased, and Nrf2 mRNA and protein levels in hepatocytes nucleus enhanced compared with the model group (P<0.05 or 0.01). Meanwhile the Keap1 mRNA, the mRNA and protein levels of HO-1, NQO1 antibody, rGCS antibody, GST increased after TFHL treatment (P<0.05 or 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSNrf2 and other related factors were involved in development of NASH, and they also served as an important part in its occurrence. By regulating expression of Nrf2 and other related factors, TFHL may play a role in antioxidative stress and prevention of NASH.

Animals ; Cell Nucleus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Crataegus ; chemistry ; Dinoprost ; metabolism ; Flavones ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Lipids ; chemistry ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; drug therapy ; genetics ; pathology ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Xinling Wan on patients with stable angina pectoris, a randomized, double-blinded, placebo parallel-controlled, multicenter clinical trial was conducted. A total of 232 subjects were enrolled and randomly divided into experiment group and placebo group. The experiment group was treated with Xinling Wan (two pills each time, three times daily) for 4 weeks, and the placebo group was treated with placebo. The effectiveness evaluation showed that Xinling Wan could significantly increase the total duration of treadmill exercise among patients with stable angina pectoris. FAS analysis showed that the difference value of the total exercise duration was between experiment group (72.11±139.32) s and placebo group (31.25±108.32) s. Xinling Wan could remarkably increase the total effective rate of angina pectoris symptom score, and the analysis showed that the total effective rate was 78.95% in experiment group and 42.61% in placebo group. The reduction of nitroglycerin dose was (2.45±2.41) tablets in experiment group and (0.50±2.24) tablets in placebo group on the basis of FAS analysis. The decrease of symptom integral was (4.68±3.49) in experiment group and (3.19±3.31) in placebo group based on FAS analysis. Besides, Xinling Wan could decrease the weekly attack time and the duration of angina pectoris. PPS analysis results were similar to those of FAS analysis. In conclusion, Xinling Wan has an obvious therapeutic effect in treating stable angina pectoris, with a good safety and a low incidence of adverse event and adverse reaction in experiment group.

The cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model was established to investigate the anti-oxidation and anti-apoptosis mechanism of Xinshao formula on the cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in rats. SD rats were randomly divided into five groups: sham operation group, model group, and low, middle and high-dose Xinshao formula groups (0.31, 0.62, 1.25 g·kg⁻¹). After administration with Xinshao formula for 7 days, the rats were used to establish the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model. The neurological behavior was evaluated. TTC staining was implemented to determine the volume of cerebral infarction. The levels of ROS, SOD, GSH-PX, NO and iNOS in serum were examined, and the mRNA and protein levels of Bcl-2, Bax and caspase 3 in hippocampal CA1 were detected by qRT-PCR, immunohistochemical assay and Western blot. It is found that Xinshao formula could significantly reduce the symptoms of nervous function and the volume of cerebral infarction in MACO rats. Compared with model group, the rats in Xinshao formula group showed increases in the activities of SOD and GSH-PX (<0.01), and decreases in the activities of iNOS and the contents of NO, ROS and MDA (<0.01). In addition, Xinshao formula could down-regulate the mRNA and protein levels of Bax and caspase 3 (<0.01), and up-regulated those of Bcl-2 (<0.01) in MACO rats. In conclusion, Xinshao formula showed aprotective effect on cerebral ischemia reperfusion injuryin rats, which may be associated with the promotion of anti-oxidation and anti-apoptosis.

Ebola virus(EBOV) disease,the fatality rate of which is as high as 25％-90％,can be transmitted by contac t between human and non-human primates.Early studies of the virus focused on the functions of viral proteins.Recently,the focus of research of EBOV has been switched to the host interaction factors during the process of virus reproduction.In this review,advances in studies on host contributions to EBOV replication,transcription and translation are summarized in order to enhance our understanding of contributions of the host to the virus reproduction process and provide reference for research strategies and new antiviral drugs.

Objective To achieve detailed genomic characterization and investigate the antibiotic-resistant mechanisms of plasmid pA1137 carrying the aminoglycoside resistance gene aacC2.Methods Antibiotic-resistant genes were deter-mined by PCR.Conjugation experiments were performed to verify the transferability of plasmid pA 1137.The minimum in-hibitory concentration(MIC)values of bacterial strains were tested with microdilution method.The genetic background, mobile elements and antibiotic resistance mechanisms of pA 1137 were determined using a whole genome sequencing meth-od.Results Both carbapenem-resistant gene blaIMP-8and aminoglycoside-resistant genes aacC2 and aacA4 were carried by A1137 isolated from Enterobacter cloacae(ECL).aacC2 was located in plasmid pA1137 while the other two resistant genes were observed in chromosomes.Plasmid pA1137 was an IncFⅡplasmid,whose total length was 68.97 kb,and GenBank accession number was MF190369.Plasmid pA1137 contained multiple replicons and intact conjugative transfer regions,so it could be transferred into ECL through conjugation experiments and confer corresponding antibiotic resistance to the transconjugant A1137-EC600.Conclusion IncFⅡ plasmid pA1137 has a single accessory region, the first reported Tn5403-based aacC2-tmrB-related region,which can cause stable inheritance and mediate the resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics in ECL A1137.

The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus has caused several outbreaks in domestic poultry. Despite great efforts to control the spread of this virus, it continues to evolve and poses a substantial threat to public health because of a high mortality rate. In this study, we sequenced whole genomes of eight H5N1 avian influenza viruses isolated from domestic poultry in eastern China and compared them with those of typical influenza virus strains. Phylogenetic analyses showed that all eight genomes belonged to clade 2.3.2.1 and clade 7.2, the two main circulating clades in China. Viruses that clustered in clade 2.3.2.1 shared a high degree of homology with H5N1 isolates located in eastern Asian. Isolates that clustered in clade 7.2 were found to circulate throughout China, with an east-to-west density gradient. Pathogenicity studies in mice showed that these isolates replicate in the lungs, and clade 2.3.2.1 viruses exhibit a notably higher degree of virulence compared to clade 7.2 viruses. Our results contribute to the elucidation of the biological characterization and pathogenicity of HPAI H5N1 viruses.
Animals ; China ; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; pathogenicity ; Influenza in Birds ; virology ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Phylogeny ; Poultry