Objective:To investigate the risk factors of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in young patients with hyperhomocysteinemia.Methods:A total of 260 patients younger than 45 years old who received treatment at the Department of Emergency, Seventh Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2018 to January 2019 were included in this study. Among these patients, 126 patients with serum homocysteine levels ≥ 15.0 μmol/L were included in the hyperhomocysteinemia group, and 134 patients with serum homocysteine levels < 15.0 μmol/L were included in the control group. Height, body weight, body mass index, blood pressure, homocysteine, fasting blood glucose, blood uric acid, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide were determined in each group. Changes in risk factors of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases were compared between the hyperhomocysteinemia and control groups.Results:There were significant differences in body mass index [(26.42 ± 3.54) kg/m 2vs. (22.14 ± 3.22) kg/m 2, t = 10.21, P = 0.016], blood uric acid [(308.71 ± 78.44) μmol/L vs. (285.05 ± 92.09) μmol/L, t = 2.22, P = 0.027], the incidence of coronary heart disease (73/126 vs. 61/134, χ2 = 4.00, P = 0.045) and the incidence of stroke (19/126 vs. 6/134, χ2 = 8.39, P = 0.004) between the hyperhomocysteinemia and control groups. There were no significant differences in fasting blood glucose, blood lipid level, N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide, and the incidences of diabetes mellitus and hypertension between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Conclusion:The related risk factors of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases increase in young patients with hyperhomocysteinemia. The incidences of coronary heart disease and stroke are very high, and therefore timely intervention should be carried out.

Objective:To study the expression and value of inflammatory factors and disease activity in dry eyes of rheumatoid arthritis patients.Methods:From March 2017 to November 2019, 78 patients with rheumatoid arthritis complicated with dry eye diagnosed by the rheumatology department of our hospital, 80 patients with simple dry eye treated in the ophthalmology clinic and 80 normal volunteers were collected. All subjects were examined for OSDI questionnaire scores, tear film rupture time (BUT), tear secretion test (SIT), and corneal fluorescein staining (FL) scores. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF) and other disease activity-related indicators were collected. The concentrations of interleukin-1b (il-1b), tumor necrosis factor-a (tnf-a), chemokine 3(CCL3), CCL4, CCL5, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the collected tears were detected by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). One-way Anova was used to analyze the correlative indexes among the three groups, LSD- t method was used for multiple comparison. Pearson's method was used to analyze the correlation between Ra activity and dry eye. Results:The results of OSDI [(44±9) points vs (44±9) points vs (24±7) points], SIT [(3.3±2.2) mm/5 min vs (3.6±2.1) mm/5 min vs (11.7±1.6) mm/5 min], BUT [(4.3±1.8) s vs (5.9±1.9) s vs (10.4±2.0) s], FL [(7.3±3.1) points vs (5.7±2.8) points vs (1.6±1.6) points] were com-pared among the three groups. There were significant differences among the three groups( F=154.22, P<0.01; F=470.49, P<0.01; F=217.72, P<0.01; F=101.99, P<0.01). The concentrations of IL-1β [(1.92±0.14) ng/L vs (1.28±0.18) ng/L vs (0.64±0.15) ng/L], IL-6 [(38.24±0.69) ng/L vs (36.31±0.82) ng/L vs (30.43±0.87) ng/L]、TNF-α [(0.78±0.03) ng/L vs (0.67±0.03) ng/L vs (0.56±0.02) ng/L], CCL3 [(91±25) ng/L vs (83±21) ng/L vs (24±18) ng/L], CCL4 [(187±76) ng/L vs (137±64) ng/L vs (37±5) ng/L], CCL5[(259±70) ng/L vs (182±42) ng/L vs (135±34) ng/L] and VEGF [(172±25) ng/L vs (152±22) ng/L vs (41±21) ng/L] in the tears of the three groups were significantly different( F=1 300.15, P<0.01; F=2 036.37, P<0.01; F=1 305.89, P<0.01; F=764.01, P<0.01; F=225.47, P<0.01; F=138.48, P<0.01; F=121.04, P<0.01). The indexes of disease activity (ESR, CRP, RF) were compared among the three groups. The positive rate of RF[(100%) vs (5%) vs (4%)] was significantly higher in Ra dry eye group than in the other two groups ( χ2=127.38, P<0.01) There were significant differences in ESR[(51±23) mm/1 h vs (9±4) mm/1 h vs (8±5) mm/1 h] and CRP[(44±23) g/L vs (5±4) g/L vs (6±4) g/L] among the three groups ( F=253.18, P<0.01; F=222.36, P<0.01) . BUT was negatively correlated with the activity index (ESR, CRP, RF) in rheumatoid arthritis dry eye group ( r=-0.398, P=0.005; r=-0.353, P=0.010; r=-0.302, P=0.038) , FL was positively correlated with activity index (ESR, CRP, RF) ( r=0.345, P=0.014; r=0.385, P=0.007; r=0.412, P=0.003) . There was no correlation between SIT, OSDI and activity index (ESR, CRP, RF)( r=-0.265, P=0.060; r=-0.156, P=0.318; r=-0.275, P=0.070); ( r=-0.087, P=0.582、 r=-0.065, P=0.664; r=-0.045, P=0.768). Conclusion:Inflammatory factors and disease activity indexes are highly expressed in rheumatoid arthritis patients with dry eye of disease, and there is a correlation between disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis and dry eye, which has some clinical meaing.

AIM: To investigate the effect of nucleolin on diabetic cardiomyopathy in mice.METHODS: A type II diabetic cardiomyopathy mouse model was prepared using a cardiac-specific nucleolin-overexpressing transgenic mice.The mice were divided into wild-type mouse control group, nucleolin transgenic mouse control group, wild-type mouse diabetes group and nucleolin transgenic mouse diabetes group.Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) fluorescent dye, Masson staining and PowerLab system detection were used to further clarify the role of nucleolin on cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis and cardiac function in type II diabetic cardiomyopathy mice.RESULTS: Compared with wild-type mouse control group, no significant increase in blood glucose level was found, while genetical myocardial cell hypertrophy was significantly attenuated in nucleolin transgenic mouse diabetes group.The collagen fibers were also significantly reduced, and hemodynamic indexes ± dp/dtmax, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, left ventricular systolic pressure and heart rate were also improved.The above differences were statistically significant.CONCLUSION: Nucleolin may reduce the occurrence of myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, thus improving the cardiac function of diabetic cardiomyopathy mice.

Background The study on eye surface damage following phacoemulsification with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation is increasingly concerned,and these symptoms were associated with dry eye and often treated by polyethylene glycol eyedrops to remit the discomfortableness.Recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (rb-bFGF) eyedrops contains neurotrophic factors, but its effect on eye surface damage is worth researching.Objective This study was to evaluate the repair effects of rb-bFGF on ocular surface injury after phacoemulsification with IOL implantation.Methods A randomized controlled trail was designed.Ninety eyes of 72 consecutive patients with age-related cataract were enrolled in Fenyang Hospital of Shanxi Province from September 2010 to August 2013 under the informed consent.Phacoemulsification with IOL implantation was performed on all the eyes, and tobramycin and dexamethasone eye drops was used for 15 days as basis therapy.According to the treatment sequence,the operative eyes were assigned to rb-bFGF eyedrops group, polyethylene glycol eyedrops group and basis therapy group.rb-bFGF drops and polyethylene glycol drops were topically administered 4 times per day since the first day after surgery for consecutive 30 days in corresponding group,and only basis therapy was maintained in the basis therapy grouply.Corneal fluorescence (FL) staining scores,breakup time of tear film (BUT) and Schirmer Ⅰ test (S Ⅰ t) without topical anesthesia were examined in 1 day before operation and 1 day,7 days, 15 days and 30 days after operation.The efficacy was intergrouply compared.Results No significant differences were seen in the demography and the relevant surface examinational outcomes among the rb-bFGF group, polyethylene glycol drops group and the basis therapy group before surgery (age : F =1.50;gender :x2 =0.336, both at ＞ 0.05;FL : F =0.31;BUT:F =0.65;S Ⅰ t: F =0.57;all at P ＞ 0.05).Compared with the before operation, FL scores were obviously increased,and BUT values were reduced and S Ⅰ t values were elavated in all the eyes early stage of surgey and then gradually improved with the lapse of postoperative time, showing significant differences (Ftime =7.83,7.32,7.17, all at P＜0.01).The FL scores,BUT and S Ⅰ t in 15 days after surgery in the rb-bFGF drops group and 30 days after surgery in the polyethylene glycol drops group was closed to those of before surgery (all at P＞0.05).However,there were still significant differences between the before and after operation in the basis were closed to those of before surgery therapy group (all at P＜0.05).In addition, significant differences were found in corneal FL scores, BUT and S Ⅰ t among these three groups (Fgroup =5.08,4.15,4.61, all at P＜0.05).In postoperative 15 days and 30 days, the S Ⅰ t values were (12.32±1.18) and (11.32±1.98) mm/5 rmin,which were significantly lower than (14.36±1.77) and (13.36±2.32) mm/5 min in the polyethylene glycol drops group and (17.25 ±2.24) and (13.25 ±2.53) mm/5 min in the basis therapy group (all at P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The topical application of rb-bFGF combined with tobramycin and dexamethasone eyedrops can improve the dry eye-related symptoms and promote the repair of the ocular surface injury after phacoemulsification with IOL implantation,and the clinical efficacy of rb-bFGF eyedrops is better than that of polyethylene glycol eyedrops or only tobramycin and dexamethasone eyedrops.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of pranoprofen drops on dry eye of patients with Sj(o)gren's syndrome (SS).Methods This is a prospective study.Sixty-eight inpatients with dry eye in our hospital were randomly divided into the experimental and control groups.Right eyes were taken for the trial,with 34 cases in each group.The experimental group was given pranoprofen eye drops combined with polyethylene glycol eye drops.Eyes of the control group were given polyethylene glycol drops only.Corneal fluorescein staining (FL),tear film breakup time (BUT) and Schirmer test (SIT) were tested before treatment and 1,2,4 weeks after treatment by the same care giver.The levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in tears were detected by ELISA.Analysis of variance of repeated data and t test were used for statistical analysis.Results The difference of FL,BUT,SIT and content IL-6 and TNF-α in tears in the experimental group patients before treatment and 1,2,4 weeks after treatment were signifcant (F=4.65,7.53,6.43,9.96,10.87; P＜0.05),which were statistically significantly different between the experimental group and the control group patients (F=3.27,5.85,4.36,8.36,7.23; P＜0.05).One week after treatment and before treatment,the difference of BUT and SIT of the two groups was not statistically significant (P＞0.05),those of the 2 weeks after treatment were statistically significantly different [BUT of the experimental group was (11.1±2.5) s,BUT of the control group was (9.7±1.9) s,t=2.594 8,P＜0.05; the SIT of the experimental group was (7.3±1.7) mm,the SIT of the control group was (5.9±1.7) mm,t=3.571 8,P＜0.05].BUT of the two groups at 4 weeks after treatment was statistically significantly different [BUT of the experimental group was (14.4±2.8) s,BUT of the control group was (11.4±2.6) s,t=4.469 4,P＜0.05; the SIT of the experimental group was (9.9±2.1) mm,the SIT of the control group was (8.7±1.9) mm,t=2.568 0,P＜0.05].The difference of FL and IL-6 and TNF-α in tears pretreatment between the two groups was not statistically significant (P＞0.05).At week 1,2,4 after treatment,the differences between the two groups were statistically significant (tFL=4.173 9,3.190 7,4.072 6; tIL-6=2.131 5,2.316 4,5.310 1; tTNF-α=2.216 4,4.871 9,8.175 0; P＜0.05).No significant discomfort and side effects were observed in the two groups.Conclusion Pranoprofen drops can significantly improve symptoms of dry eye in patients with pSS,in particular,the repair of the cornea,may be related to the inhibition of the expression of ocular inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α,and thus reduce the ocular surface inflammatory reaction.

Abstract] Objective To study the roles of IL-12 and IL-23 in the development of protective im-munity and pathological changes during chlamydial urogenital infection.Methods C57BL/6J wild type (wt) mice and mice deficient in IL-12p35 (IL-12p35 KO) or IL-12p40 (IL-12p40 KO)were inoculated in-travaginally with 1×104 IFU of live Chlamydia muridarum ( C.muridarum) organisms.Half mice of each group were reinfected on day 114 after primary infection.Vaginal swabs were taken every 3 or 4 days to mo-nitor live organism shedding.The mice were sacrificed after 114 or 143 days of primary infection and the va-ginal tract and kidney samples were collected for pathological analysis.The numbers of chlamydial inclusion bodies and bacteria in kidney homogenates were titrated after 100 days of primary infection.Results The infection time courses of mice deficient in either IL-12p35 or IL-12p40 were similar after primary infection, but were prolonged as compared with the wild type mice.All mice regardless of genotypes developed severe pathological damages in upper genital tracts with no significant difference among different groups.Almost all IL-12p40 KO mice and some IL-12p35 KO mice showed pathological changes in kidney samples.No obvious abnormality was observed in any of the kidneys from wild type mice.Neither the age-matched IL-12p35 KO nor IL-12p40 KO mice developed any gross pathological changes in kidney in the absence of chlamydial in-fection.C.muridarum inclusions were detected in kidney samples with gross pathological damages from IL-12p35 KO mice and IL-12p40 KO mice.No inclusions were ever detected in kidneys from the wild type mice.The numbers of chlamydial inclusions in the IL-12p40 KO mice were much higher than those of the IL-12p35 KO mice.Live bacteria were detected in mice deficient in either IL-12p35 or IL-12p40, but not in the wild type mice.No significant difference with the number of live bacteria was found between IL-12p35 KO mice and IL-12p40 KO mice.Conclusion IL-12 and IL-23 could inhibit the spread of C.muridarum in-fection from genital tract to kidney.The deficiency of IL-12 or IL-23 might relate to the renal lesions induced by Chlamydia infection.

AIM:To construct myocardium-specific nucleolin ( Ncl) transgenic mice and to provide an animal model for the studies of the myocardial protection of nucleolin .METHODS:To create nucleolin transgenic mice , a myo-cardium-specific expression plasmid of nucleolin ( Alpha-MyHC clone 26-Ncl) was constructed .The gene type of transgenic mice was identified by PCR and the nucleolin protein level was tested by Western blotting .The myocardium morphology , heart weight index (HWI) and left ventricular pressure maximum rise rate were observed in nucleolin transgenic (TG) mice and wild-type ( WT) mice.RESULTS:We gained 4 transgenic mice (51, 52, 56 and 86 lines, only 52 line and 86 line were eugonic) by PCR.Western blotting analysis showed the expression of nucleolin up-regulated specifically in the myocardium .However , the myocardium morphology , HWI and left ventricular pressure maximum rise rate in the nucleolin transgenic mice were similar to those in the wild-type mice.CONCLUSION:We constructed myocardium-specific nucleo-lin transgenic mice successfully .

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the nucleolus expression in the diabetic cardiomyopathy. METHODS: The rats were divided into a control group and a type II diabetic cardiomyopathy group (model group). In the model group, rats were fed with high-fat and high-sugar food (rats were intravenously injected with 60 mg/kg chain urea with cephalosporins in the 5th and 6th weeks in mice). The level of blood glucose was determined at the end of 8th week and the level of fasting blood glucose was examined at the end of 20th week. The ratio of the heart mass and body mass was calculated, and the pathological changes in myocardial morphology were observed. The immunohistochemical method and Western blot were used to detect the expression level of myocardial nucleolin. RESULTS: The level of fasting blood glucose was significantly increased in the diabetic model group than that in the control group (P<0.05). Rats in the model group were found hypertrophic cardic cells, with fracture, dissolusion, and disordered arrangement. Immunohistochemical staining and Western blot showed the protein levels of myocardial nucleolin in the model group were obviously higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Nucleolin may play a role in the pathogenesis and development of the diabetic cardiomyopathy.
Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; Diabetic Cardiomyopathies ; metabolism ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Phosphoproteins ; metabolism ; RNA-Binding Proteins ; metabolism ; Rats

This paper summarized researches about the factors that influenced the measurement of hand grip, including equipments, ethnics,genders, ages, morphological parameters, handedness, occupation, grip width, body posture and psychological factors. All these are to be considered in studies of grip strength.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of atorvastatin on cardiac remodeling and function after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in rats and whether this effect is mediated by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) signaling pathway.

METHODSAMI was induced by left coronary artery ligation in 64 male Sprague-Dawley rats, and 45 surviving rats were randomized into control group (n=15), low-dose atorvastatin group (10 mg/kg, n=15) and high-dose atorvastatin group (20 mg/kg, n=15). Similar surgical procedure was performed in sham-operated rats (n=15) without coronary ligation. Atorvastatin was given daily by gavage from the first day after AMI. Eight weeks later, the cardiac function, left ventricular weight/body mass index (LVMI), collagen volume fraction (CVF), and the expressions of TGF-β1 and Smad2 were compared between the groups.

RESULTSAMI caused significantly reduced cardiac function, increased LVMI and CVF, and upregulated expressions of TGF-β1 and Smad2 mRNA and proteins in the control group (P<0.05). The cardiac function, LVMI, and CVF were improved by atorvastatin, which also down-regulated the expressions of TGF-β1 and Smad2 (P<0.05), and the effects were more prominent in high-dose atorvastatin group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONAtorvastatin can dose-dependently improve cardiac remodeling and function after AMI in rats, which is mediated by regulating the activity of TGF-β1/Smad2 signaling pathway.

Animals ; Atorvastatin Calcium ; Heart ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Heptanoic Acids ; pharmacology ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; physiopathology ; Pyrroles ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Smad2 Protein ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism ; Ventricular Remodeling ; drug effects