Prognostic value of circulating catestatin levels for in-hospital heart failure in patients with acute myocardial infarction / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine whether circulating level of catestatin (CST) could provide prognostic information independently of conventional risk markers for the development of in-hospital heart failure in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The data of 120 STEMI patients (mean age: 61 years, 73% male) were collected from the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University and Taiyuan Central Hospital between November 2010 and September 2011.The patients were categorized into 4 groups according to CST (ng/L) quartile: ≤ 74.72, 74.73-79.67, 79.68 - 84.21 and ≥ 84.22 ng/L. Clinical features, therapeutic approaches were compared among groups. The patients were also grouped according to Killip class: Killip level I (n = 68), Killip level II (n = 23), Killip level III (n = 18), Killip level IV (n = 11). CST, NE and NT-proBNP were compared among groups. The Spearma rank correlation and multivariate logistic regression analysis were applied to determine the association between risk factors and in-hospital heart failure. Receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to evaluate the power of CST and NT-proBNP on predicting in-hospital heart failure.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Gender, hospital days, past history of smoking, hypertension, myocardial infarction, CK-MB peak level, TnI peak level, heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose, blood lipid levels on admission and early reperfusion therapy were similar among groups. Patients with higher CST values were more likely to be older, to have lower body mass index, to have higher white blood cell count, CysC, hs-CRP, NE, NT-proBNP, past history of angina, diabetes mellitus, being diuretic users, and to have a lower ejection fraction (all P < 0.05). Higher CST levels were also associated with increased risk of heart failure (P < 0.05). In proportion with the deterioration of the cardiac function, CST, NE, NT-proBNP concentration gradually increased (all P < 0.05). Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the CST was negatively correlated with LVEF (r(s) = -0.923, P < 0.001) and positively correlated with NT-proBNP (r(s) = 0.884, P < 0.001). After multivariate adjustment, CST remained to be an independent risk factor for the development of in-hospital heart failure (OR = 1.125, 95%CI: 1.056 - 1.198;P < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve of CST and NT-proBNP was 0.777 and 0.874. Using CST = 77.29 ng/L as a cut-off value, the sensitivity was 92.8% and specificity was 70.6% for predicting the development of in-hospital heart failure.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The plasma CST level is an independent predictor for the development of in-hospital heart failure in patients with STEMI.</p>

Measurement of the amino acid sequence for the fusion protein FP3 with LC-MS/MS / 药学学报

The amino acid sequence of the fusion protein FP3 was measured by two types of LC-MS/MS and its primary structure was confirmed. After reduction and alkylation, the protein was digested with trypsin and glycosyl groups in glycopeptide were removed by PNGase F. The mixed peptides were separated by LC, then Q-TOF and Ion trap tandem mass spectrometry were used to measure b, y fragment ions of each peptide to analyze the amino acid sequence of fusion protein FP3. Seventy-six percent of full amino acid sequence of the fusion protein FP3 was measured by LC-ESI-Q-TOF with the remaining 24% completed by LC-ESI-Trap. As LC-MS and tandem mass spectrometry are rapid, sensitive, accurate to measure the protein amino acid sequence, they are important approach to structure analysis and identification of recombinant protein.

Effect of sodium arsenite exposure on DNA damage of rat peripheral blood lymphocytes / 中国地方病学杂志

Objective To explore the DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes of rats exposed to sodium arsenite. Methods Thirty-two Wistar rats, weighing 180 - 200 g, equal male and female, were randomly divided into 4 groups, 8 in each group. Sodium arsenite 0(control) ,0.05,0.15,0.45 mg/L were given through drinking water for 30 days. Body weight and drinking water consumption were measured every day. Blood were collected and DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes was examined by single cell gel electrophoresis.Results The increase of body mass[( 121.00 ± 38.57), ( 120.62 ± 42.80), ( 125.38 ± 48.68)g]and water intake [(36.9 ± 6.2), (37.9 ± 5.8), (39.3 ± 4.2)ml/d]in 0.05,0.15,0.45 mg/L sodium arsenite groups were compared with the control group[( 119.25 ± 47.27)g, (38.4 ± 5.1 )ml/d], and the difference were not significant (F = 0.040,0.828, all P ＞ 0.05). The tail ratios[46.25%(185/400) ,57.00%(228/400),64.00%(256/400)], tail lengths [(32.89 ± 17.18), (58.74 ± 36.28), (77.55 ± 35.73 ) μm]and tail moments [(6.29 ± 3.74), ( 11.20 ± 9.64),(17.30 ± 12.60)μm]in 0.05,0.15,0.45 mg/L sodium arsenite groups were significantly higher than those of the control group[39.25%(157/400), (18.73 ± 15.83),(2.61 ± 1.05)μm, all P ＜ 0.01], and the tail ratios,tail lengths and tail moments in lymphocytes increased with increased doses of arsenic concentration. Conclusions Low doses of arsenic exposure can induce DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes of rats.

Quality of life among patients receiving chemotherapy in the outpatient departments of a general hospital and its correlation with pain / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the relationship of quality of life and pain in patients receiving chemotherapy in the outpatient departments in a general hospital.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect data on pain status, sleep disorder,vomiting,constipation as well as the social function status.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 428 patient-times of survey, 12.2% of the patients had moderate to severe pain,of which 78.8% was consistent pain. The occurrence of pain was closely related to the metastasis of cancer (P = 0.000). The intensity and location of pain were independently correlated to the origin of cancer (P = 0.035, P = 0.000). Nearly a quarter of patients (24.5%) agreed that talking with his/her family was helpful to relieve pain, while 17.3% of patients had ambulatory restriction or changes in social function. The changes in social function were closely related with sleeping disorder, constipation, fatigue, and intensity of pain (all ,0.05). Furthermore, sleeping disorder was related to pain intensity (P=0.000), while constipation had no relationship with analgesic medicines (P = 0.798).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>A significantly large proportion of patients who are receiving chemotherapies in the outpatient departments of general hospital are suffering from moderate to severe pain. Their decreased social functions correlate with the cancer-related somatic symptoms.</p>

Cerebral lymphatic blockage aggravates apoptosis of cortical neurons after subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats in vivo / 生理学报

This present study was performed to investigate the influence of cerebral lymphatic blockage (CLB) on apoptosis of cortical neurons after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in rats in vivo. Healthy adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group, SAH group and SAH+CLB group. SAH model was made by double injection of autologous blood into the cisterna magna. On the third day after the second cisternal injection, morphological changes of cortical cells were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) combined with propidium iodide (PI) staining. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method was applied to determine in situ apoptosis in the cerebral cortex. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to detect the expression of Caspase-3 and Bcl-2 in cortical neurons. HE and PI staining showed that cortical neurons of SAH rats were partly shrinkable; the nuclei showed wavy, folded or wrinkled appearance, and some nuclei had the shape of crescent. The cortical neurons in SAH+CLB group distributed sparsely and the nuclear fragmentation, apoptotic bodies were found, surrounded by the formation of vacuoles. The numbers of TUNEL-positive cells in SAH group and SAH+CLB group were higher than that in the normal control group, while the number in SAH+CLB group was significantly higher than that in the SAH group. Caspase-3 expressions in SAH group and SAH+CLB group were higher than that in the normal control group, while the expression in SAH+CLB group was significantly higher than that in the SAH group. Bcl-2 expressions in SAH group and SAH+CLB group were higher than that in the normal control group, while the expression in the SAH+CLB group was significantly lower than that in SAH group. The results obtained suggest that CLB exacerbates the apoptosis of cortical neurons in rats after SAH by up-regulating Caspase-3 expression and down-regulating Bcl-2 expression.

Influence of thermochemotherapy on the activity of cytotoxic T lymphocyte in oral maxillofacial cancer patients / 华西口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the influence of thermochemotherapy on the activity of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) in peripheral blood of patients with oral maxillofacial cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-one subjects with oral maxillofacial cancer were treated by thermochemotherapy, and the activity of CTL in peripheral blood was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Thermochemotherapy can obviously enhance the activity of CTL (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Thermochemotherapy can enhance the activity of CTL, thus enhance the patient's immune function. Therefore, it can enhance the antitumor response in whole body.</p>

Influence of the expression of heat shock protein 70 in maxillofacial squamous cell carcinoma by thermochemotherapy / 华西口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the influence of thermochemotheraphy on the expression of HSP70 in maxillofacial squamous cell carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>12 patients were treated with thermochemotheraphy twice a week, altogether 10 times. After 8 mg of Pingyangmycin infused, the patients were treated with microwave hyperthermia at 43 degrees C for 40 min. The part of carcinoma tissue was removed with surgical operations at before treatment and aftre five times of treatment. The expression of HSP70 in tumor cells was determined by SP immunohistochemcial method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of HSP70 in tumor cells was enhanced obviously by thermochemotherapy.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Special high expression of HSP70 in the tumor cells was induced by thermochemotherapy. With the antigen presenting action and other action, HSP70 have special antitumor effect.</p>