Objective:To explore the effect of supplementing stem cell therapy with aerobic exercise in left ventricle remodeling after myocardial infarction.Methods:Sixty 6-week-old male Wistar rats had acute myocardial infarction induced by ligation of the anterior descending coronary artery. They were then randomly divided into a model group, a stem cell group, an exercise group and an observation group. Another ten healthy Wistar rats formed a sham operation group. The rats in the stem cell and observation groups were infused with a suspension of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells through the tail vein. Beginning four weeks later, the exercise and observation groups underwent 60 minutes of aerobic treadmill exercise 5 days per week for 8 weeks. At the beginning and end of the eight weeks the rats′ exercise performance was evaluated using a graded treadmill exercise test. And after the last training session cardiac structure and function were detected using ultrasound imaging. Tissue was then collected from the left ventricles and the collagen volume fractions were calculated. The expression of myocardial brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), heavy chain β-myosin (β-MHC) and α-MHC mRNA was detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCRs.Results:Compared with the sham operation group, the time and distance to exhaustion shortened significantly in the model group, with a significant decrease in the average maximum running speed, left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricle shortening fraction (LVFS), expression of α-MHC and the α-MHC/β-MHC ratio. There was a significant increase in the average resting heart rate, collagen volume fraction, expression of BNP and β-MHC in the model group. Compared with the model group, there was a significant increase in the average LVEF and LVFS of the stem cell group as well as in the time and distance to exhaustion, maximum running speed, expression of α-MHC and in the α-MHC/β-MHC ratio of the observation group, but a significant decrease in the average collagen volume fraction of the stem cell group compared with the observation group, together with the resting heart rate, collagen volume fraction, the expression of BNP and of β-MHC. Compared with the stem cell group, the observation group showed a significant increase in the average time and distance to exhaustion, maximum running speed, expression of α-MHC and the α-MHC/β-MHC ratio, with a significant decrease in the average resting heart rate, collagen volume fraction, expression of BNP and β-MHC.Conclusion:Aerobic exercise or stem cell therapy alone can inhibit left ventricular remodeling and improve cardiac function after myocardial infarction, at least in rats. The combination of the two treatments has a synergistic effect and can further enhance the effect of stem cell therapy.

Freshly collected seeds of Amomum tsaoko demonstrate obvious dormancy. Therefore, the selection of stable reference genes during seed dormancy release is very important for the subsequent functional research of related genes. In this study, ten commonly used reference genes(GAPDH, 40S, actin, tubulin, EIF4A-9, EIF2α, UBC, UBCE2, 60S, and UBQ) were selected as candidates for quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR) of the embryo samples of A. tsaoko at different dormancy release stages. Three kinds of software(BestKeeper, geNorm, and Normfinder) and the Delta CT method were used to evaluate the expression stability of the candidate reference genes, and the RefFinder online tool was employed to integrate the results and generate a comprehensive ranking. The results showed that the expression levels of the ten candidate reference genes differed greatly in different embryo samples. GAPDH and UBC had high expression levels, as manifested by the small Ct values. GeNorm identified 40S and UBCE2 as the most stable genes. NormFinder ranked EIF2α as the most stable gene and UBC as the least stable gene. UBCE2 was found to be the most stable gene and actin the least stable one by BestKeeper. Delta CT analysis suggested that the expression of 40S was most stable. UBCE2 was recommended as the most stably expressed gene by RefFinder. Thus, UBCE2 is the ideal reference gene for qRT-PCR analysis of A. tsaoko seeds at different dormancy release stages. The results may lay a foundation for analyzing the expression of related genes during seed dormancy release of A. tsaoko.
Amomum ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Seeds/genetics*

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of depression and to analyze its determinants among centenarians in Hainan.Methods:A cross-sectional study on centenarians was conducted in Hainan from June 2014 to December 2016.A total of 910 centenarians, including 166 males and 744 females, were interviewed in their domiciles by trained investigators.A 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale(GDS-15)was used to assess depression for centenarians, and general sociodemographic details, sleep quality, cognitive function, activities of daily living, and lifestyles were recorded.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine major related factors for depression in centenarians.Results:Of the 910 centenarians, 292 were regarded as depressed and the prevalence was 32.1%.Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in gender, education, marital status, self-reported health, incontinence, dietary habits, sleep quality, activities of daily living, cognitive function, outdoor activities, watching TV, and social engagement between subjects with and without depression( P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that living conditions, self-reported health, activities of daily living, and sleep quality were independent related factors for depression in centenarians( P<0.05). Among the above related factors, living with families( OR=0.50, P=0.026)and good sleep quality( OR=0.67, P=0.010)were protective factors for depression, whereas poor self-reported health( OR=3.34, P<0.001)and disability( OR=2.37, P=0.002)were risk factors for depression in centenarians. Conclusions:Living conditions, self-reported health, activities of daily living, and sleep quality were independently correlated with depression in Hainan centenarians.This study provides empirical evidence for depression interventions and mental health improvement in centenarians.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics, laboratorial and bone marrow pathological features of primary thrombocytopenia (ET) patients with different mutations of CALR, JAK2 and MPL genes. METHODS: The chinical data of 120 cases of ET in Jiangsu provincial people's hospital/ The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2015 to December 2017 were collected and analyzed, including 76 cases with JAK2 gene mutation, 40 cases with CALR gene mutation, 2 cases with MPL gene mutations, 2 cases without gene mutation. RESULTS: Among the ET patients, compared with the JAK2 gene mutation, CALR gene mutation showed statistically significant deareament of white blood cells and hemoglobin (P=0.001, P=0.01) and the male platelets in CALR group showed significant increament (P=0.04). Fourthermore, the average number of megakaryocytes and its cluster numbers in each hight power field of vision showed statistically significant decreament in CALR group as compared with JAK2 group (P=0.001, P=0.001), and thrombotic events in CALR group were signicantly lower than those in JAK2 group (7.5% vs 18.4%) (P=0.03). CONCLUSION Mutations of CALR, JAK2 have different clinical characteristics and blood pathological changes of Chinese ET patients, and their clinical significance is worth to explore.
Bone Marrow ; Calreticulin ; genetics ; China ; Humans ; Janus Kinase 2 ; genetics ; Male ; Mutation ; Receptors, Thrombopoietin ; genetics ; Thrombocythemia, Essential

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features and outcome of neonatal acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in southwest Hubei, China. METHODS: According to the Montreux definition of neonatal ARDS, a retrospective clinical epidemiological investigation was performed on the medical data of neonates with ARDS who were admitted to Department of Neonatology/Pediatrics in 17 level 2 or level 3 hospitals in southwest Hubei from January to December, 2017. RESULTS: A total of 7 150 neonates were admitted to the 17 hospitals in southwest Hubei during 2017 and 66 (0.92%) were diagnosed with ARDS. Among the 66 neonates with ARDS, 23 (35%) had mild ARDS, 28 (42%) had moderate ARDS, and 15 (23%) had severe ARDS. The main primary diseases for neonatal ARDS were perinatal asphyxia in 23 neonates (35%), pneumonia in 18 neonates (27%), sepsis in 12 neonates (18%), and meconium aspiration syndrome in 10 neonates (15%). Among the 66 neonates with ARDS, 10 neonates (15%) were born to the mothers with an age of ≥35 years, 30 neonates (45%) suffered from intrauterine distress, 32 neonates (49%) had a 1-minute Apgar score of 0 to 7 points, 24 neonates (36%) had abnormal fetal heart monitoring results, and 21 neonates (32%) experienced meconium staining of amniotic fluid. Intraventricular hemorrhage was the most common comorbidity (12 neonates), followed by neonatal shock (9 neonates) and patent ductus arteriosus (8 neonates). All 66 neonates with ARDS were treated with mechanical ventilation in addition to the treatment for primary diseases. Among the 66 neonates with ARDS, 10 died, with a mortality rate of 15% (10/66), and 56 neonates were improved or cured, with a survival rate of 85% (56/66). CONCLUSIONS Neonatal ARDS in southwest Hubei is mostly mild or moderate. Perinatal asphyxia and infection may be the main causes of neonatal ARDS in this area. Intraventricular hemorrhage is the most common comorbidity. Neonates with ARDS tend to have a high survival rate after multimodality treatment.
China ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Meconium Aspiration Syndrome ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of neonatal asphyxia and possible contributing factors for the development of severe asphyxia in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, China. METHODS: A total of 16 hospitals in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture were selected as research centers. A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 22 294 live births in these 16 hospitals from January to December, 2016 to investigate the incidence rate of neonatal asphyxia and possible contributing factors for the development of severe asphyxia. RESULTS: Of the 22 294 neonates born alive, 733 (3.29%) were diagnosed with neonatal asphyxia, among whom 627 had mild asphyxia and 106 had severe asphyxia. The neonates with low maternal education level, maternal anemia during pregnancy, chorioamnionitis, abnormal amniotic fluid, abnormal umbilical cord, placenta previa, placental abruption, Tujia Minority, preterm birth, and low birth weight had a higher incidence of severe asphyxia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The incidence rate of neonatal asphyxia in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is higher. Low maternal education level, maternal anemia during pregnancy, chorioamnionitis, abnormal amniotic fluid, abnormal umbilical cord, placenta previa, placental abruption, Tujia Minority, preterm birth, and low birth weight may be related to the development of severe neonatal asphyxia.
Asphyxia Neonatorum ; epidemiology ; China ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Retrospective Studies

Objectives: To explore the impact of coronary atherosclerosis on diastolic function in patients with coronary heart disease. Methods: Present study included 600 patients with suspected coronary heart disease (CHD) admitted to our hospital between September 2014 to August 2017, coronary arteriography(CAG)was performed in all patients. Patients were divided into control group (n=150, CAG negative patients) , atherosclerosis group (n=150 ), and coronary heart disease group (n=300). Echocardiography, CAG, left ventriculography were measured in all patients, left ventricular diastolic function, coronary volume and pressure were compared among groups. Results: Left ventricular end-diastolic volume(LVEDV), left atrial volume index(LAVI) and left ventricular diastolic time constant (T) were significantly higher, while the ratio of early-to-late diastolic velocity (E/A) , the maximal rise velocity of left ventricular pressure (+dp/dtmax) , the maximum decrease velocity of left ventricular pressure (-dp/dtmax), the first third diastolic filling fraction (1/3 FF)and the last third of the diastolic filling fraction (p1/3 FF) were significantly reduced in the coronary atherosclerosis group and the coronary heart disease group as compared to control group (all P<0.05); left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in CHD group was lower than that in control group (P<0.05); incidence of E/A<1.2 was significantly different among the 3 groups (P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that Gensini score was an independent risk factor for diastolic dysfunction(OR=1.93, 95%CI:1.31~2.68, P=0.01). The coronary artery end-diastolic volume (CEDV) , the coronary artery end-systolic volume ( CESV) , the maximum decrease velocity of coronary artery pressure (C-dp/dtmax), the maximum rise velocity of coronary artery pressure (C+dp/dtmax) were significantly decreased in the coronary sclerosis group (P<0.05) ; CEDV, CESV, C-dp/dtmax, C+dp/dtmaxwere significantly decreased in the coronary heart disease group (P<0.01) as compared with the control group. Compared with the coronary atherosclerosis group, the CEDV, CESV, C-dp/dtmax, C+dp/dtmaxwere significantly decreased in CHD group (P<0.05). CESV, C-dp/dtmax, C+dp/dtmax in the coronary sclerosis group were significantly decreased (P<0.05), CEDV, CESV, C-dp/dtmax, C+dp/dtmaxin the coronary heart disease group were significantly decreased (P<0.01).Compared with the coronary atherosclerosis group, the CEDV, CESV, C-dp/dtmax, C+dp/dtmaxwere significantly decreased in CHD group (P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that Gensini score was negatively correlated with C-dp /dtmax(r=-0.43, P<0.01). Conclusions:Diastolic dysfunction is a sensitive index of myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary heart disease. In patients with coronary atherosclerosis, cardiac diastolic dysfunction could be shown in the absence of cardiac systolic dysfunction. The severity of coronary atherosclerosis is positively related to coronary diastolic dysfunction, which may lead to decrease of coronary vascular compliance, thus induce cardiac diastolic dysfunction.

Menkes disease is a rare X-linked recessive disorder characterized by multi-systemic disorder of copper deficiency caused by ATP7A gene mutation. In this study, the clinical and laboratory features of three patients with Menkes disease were analyzed. Prenatal diagnosis had been performed for a fetus of a family. Three patients were admitted at the age of 8-9 months due to severe epilepsies and marked delayed psychomotor development. Significantly light complexion, pudgy cheeks and sparse fuzzy wooly hair were observed. On their cranial MR imaging, cortical atrophy, leukoencephalopathy, basal ganglia damage and tormesity of the intracranial vessels were found. Their plasma ceruloplasmin decreased to 70.2, 73.5 and 81 mg/L, significantly lower than normal range (210-530 mg/L). c.3914A>G (p. D1305G) was detected on ATP7A gene of case 1 and 2. A novel mutation, c.3265G>T (p.G1089X) was found in case 3. Both of them were firstly found in Chinese patients of Menkes disease. The mother of case 1 was tested at 20 weeks of pregnancy. Karyotype and ATP7A gene studies of the amniocytes were performed for the prenatal diagnosis of her fetus. Normal male karyotypes without c.3914A>G mutation on ATP7A gene was showed. Postnatal genetic analysis and normal development confirmed the prenatal diagnosis.
Adenosine Triphosphatases ; genetics ; Cation Transport Proteins ; genetics ; Copper-transporting ATPases ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Menkes Kinky Hair Syndrome ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Mutation ; Prenatal Diagnosis

Objective To investigate the life quality status in autistic disorder children and its influencing factors.Methods Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL4.0) was used to measure the life quality of 200 children with autistic disorder and 120 healthy children.Application of Gesell Development Diagnosis Scale (1981) test was used for intelligence development.Clancy Autism Behavior Scale,Autism Behavior Checklist,and Childhood Autism Rating Scale were used to evaluate the illness degree.Results The life quality of autistic disorder group was lower than that of control group in the scores of physical functioning,emotional functioning,social functioning,mental domain and the totals cores of PedsQL,the differences were significant (all P ＜0.01).High-functioning autism in all aspects and the overall life quality were higher than those of low function group,the differences were statistically significant (all P ＜0.01).By using variance analysis,intelligence factors had an impact on the patient's life quality,the difference was statistically significant(P ＜ 0.01).Correlation analysis results suggested that the autism condition degree was heavier,the intelligence level was lower,the life quality was worse,and the difference was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Children with autistic disorder suffer grievous influence in life quality.

This study reviews a case of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I deficiency due to the 10191T>C mutation in mitochondrial ND3 gene. The previously healthy boy progressively presented with blepharoptosis, weakness, epilepsy and motor regression at age 6 years. Elevated blood lactate and pyruvate were observed. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed symmetrical lesions in the basal ganglia. Leigh syndrome was thus confirmed. The protein from the mitochondria and genomic DNA of the boy and his parents was collected from peripheral blood leucocytes for the activity test for mitochondrial complex I to V and genetic analysis. The results showed the activity of complex I (33.1 nmol /min in 1 milligram mitochondrial protein) was lower than normal reference value (44.0±5.4 nmol /min in 1 milligram mitochondrial protein). The ratio of complex I to citrate synthase (19.8%) was also lower than normal reference value (48%±11%). The activities of complexes II to V were normal. 10191T>C mutation in ND3 gene of mitochondria was identified in the boy. 10191T>C mutation and complex I deficiency were not detected in his parents. At present, he is 16 years old, and of normal intelligence with spastic paralysis in both lower extremities after treatment. It is concluded that a Chinese boy with isolated complex I deficiency due to 10191T>C mutation in ND3 gene was firstly diagnosed by peripheral leukocytes mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme assay and gene analysis. This study can provide clinical data for the nosogenesis of Leigh syndrome.
Adolescent ; Brain ; pathology ; Electron Transport Complex I ; deficiency ; genetics ; Humans ; Leigh Disease ; genetics ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; genetics ; Mutation