Comparison of two health literacy measurement tools in surgical patients / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To explore the operability of the Chinese version of the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale (C-AAHLS) and the Brief Health Literacy Screening (BHLS) for assessing the health literacy level of surgical patients.Methods:A total of 202 surgical patients were recruited in an acute care hospital. C-AAHLS and BHLS were used simultaneously to measure the health literacy of patients, and the consistency of their measurement results was compared.Results:The total health literacy scores of 202 surgical patients measured by C-AAHLS and BHLS were respectively (23.16±2.94) and (7.50±3.58), both were at a medium level, and they are consistent in differences in the health literacy levels of different ages, occupations, and educational levels, with statistical significance; the Bland-Altman graph shows that the maximum difference between the measurement results of the two tools is 1.68 <1.824 (average value), the average value of the difference is close to 0, and the results are highly consistent (P < 0.0001).Conclusions:The results of C-AAHLS and BHLS in measuring health literacy are consistent, and clinical medical staff can choose the suitable measurement tool according to the appropriate situation.

Low prevalence of macroprolactinaemia among patients with hyperprolactinaemia screened using polyethylene glycol 8000

Objectives: Macroprolactinaemia is a known benign cause of hyperprolactinaemia [hyperPRL]. Differentiating macroprolactinaemia and hyperPRL is important, as macroprolactinaemia does not require treatment. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of macroprolactinaemia among hyperPRL patients through the use of polyethylene glycol 8000

Methods: From 2011 to 2013, a cross-sectional study was conducted on patients diagnosed with hyperPRL in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia [HUSM]. Sera from these patients were measured for PRL using cobas e411 [Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, USA] [sandwich principle] and the same sera were treated with polyethylene glycol [PEG] 8000 to differentiate true hyperPRL from macroprolactinaemia. PRL recovery of less than 40% was used as an indicator of the presence of macroprolactin

Results: A total of 133 hyperPRL patients, 120 [90%] women and 13 [9.8%] men, aged 18e68 years, with mean [standard deviation] age 34.37 [11.75] years comprised this study cohort. Nine female patients were found to have macroprolactinaemia with an estimated prevalence of 6.8% [95% CI: 2.4%, 11.1%]

Conclusions: The prevalence of macroprolactinaemia detected using PEG 8000 among patients diagnosed as hyperPRL was low. Screening for macroprolactin using PEG 8000 indicated that the majority of patients who presented with hyperPRL in HUSM were true hyperPRL

Effect of AcSDKP on the proliferation and collagen synthesis in cultured rat cardiac fibroblasts stimulated by PDGF / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>AIM</b>To investigate whether AcSDKP can inhibit proliferation and collagen synthesis in cultured rat cardiac fibroblasts mediated by PDGF.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts were isolated. The cell proliferation was observed by 3H-proline incorporation assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>On the culture of 0.4% FBS, PDGF stimulated cardiac fibroblasts proliferation and collagen synthesis with a dose-dependent manner at the concentrations from 1 ng/ml to 20 ng/ml, in which 10 ng/ml PDGF reached its peak. AcSDKP at the concentration from 10(-10) mol/L to 10(-8) mol/L could inhibit cardiac fibroblasts proliferation and collagen synthesis mediated by PDGF. 10(-9) mol/L AcSDKP attained its peak on inhibiting cardiac fibroblasts proliferation and collagen synthesis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>AcSDKP can inhibit proliferation and collagen synthesis in cultured rat cardiac fibroblasts mediated by PDGF.</p>

Sonographic features and clinical significance of transrectal ultrasonography in obstructive azoospermia / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the ultrasonographic features of obstructive azoospermia and to evaluate transrectal ultrasonography in the diagnosis of the disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We performed transrectal ultrasonography for 248 patients with obstructive azoospermia, observed the sonographic features of the prostate gland, seminal vesicle and ejaculatory duct.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The average volume of the prostate gland of the studied group was 13.2 ml. A total of 111 cases showed normal sonographic features, 39 cases bilateral seminal vesicle defect, 33 cases bilateral seminal vesicle aplasia, 23 cases unilateral seminal vesicle defect and contralateral seminal vesicle aplasia, 28 cases bilateral and 14 cases unilateral seminal vesicle dilatation. Of the 42 cases of seminal vesicle dilatation, 18 had ejaculatory duct dilatation and 17 had cysts in the midline of the prostate.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Obstructive azoospermia varies in kind. Transrectal ultrasonography can reveal the details of the prostate, seminal vesicle and ejaculatory duct and help to classify obstructive azoospermia and determine the location of the lesion.</p>

Role of AcSDKP on collagen synthesis and degradation in cultured rat cardiac fibroblast / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of AcSDKP on collagen synthesis and degradation in cultured rat cardiac fibroblasts.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts were isolated and stimulated by PDGF. The cell proliferation was observed by (3)H-TdR incorporation assay. The synthesis of collagen was measured by (3)H-proline incorporation assay. The expression of type I and type III collagen and MMP-1 protein were measured by Western blot. The MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity was evaluated with zymography assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>PDGF stimulated cardiac fibroblasts proliferation with increased collagen synthesis and type I and type III collagen protein expressions as well as MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities and MMP-1 expression. AcSDKP inhibited cardiac fibroblasts proliferation induced by PDGF and reduced collagen synthesis and type I and type III collagen protein expression. AcSDKP also further up-regulated MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities and MMP-1 expression in cardiac fibroblasts induced by PDGF.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>AcSDKP inhibited proliferation and collagen synthesis and up-regulated matrix metalloproteinases activity or expression induced by PDGF, which was possibly related with the effect of AcSDKP anti-fibrosis.</p>