Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 particapates in ozone-induced lung inflammation and airway remodeling in mice / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the roles of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in ozone-induced pulmonary inflammation and airway remodeling in mice.@*METHODS@#Sixteen wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J mice and 16 ACE2 knock-out (KO) mice were exposed to either filtered air or ozone (0.8 ppm) for 3 h per day for 5 consecutive days. Masson's staining and HE staining were used to observe lung pathologies. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected and the total cell count was determined. The total proteins and cytokines in BALF were determined by BCA and ELISA method. The transcription levels of airway remodeling-related indicators in the lung tissues were detected using real-time quantitative PCR. The airway resistance of the mice was measured using a small animal ventilator with methacholine stimulation.@*RESULTS@#Following ozoneexposure ACE2 KO mice had significantly higher lung pathological scores than WT mice (P < 0.05). Masson staining results showed that compared with ozone-exposed WT mice, ozone-exposed ACE2 KO mice presented with significantly larger area of collagen deposition in the bronchi [(19.62±3.16)% vs (6.49±1.34)%, P < 0.05] and alveoli [(21.63±3.78)% vs (4.44±0.99)%, P < 0.05]. The total cell count and total protein contents in the BALF were both higher in ozone-exposed ACE2 KO mice than in WT mice, but these differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The concentrations of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, CXCL1/KC and MCP-1 in the BALF were all higher in ozone-exposed ACE2 KO mice than in ozone-exposed WT mice, but only the difference in IL-1β was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The transcription levels of MMP-9, MMP-13, TIMP 4, COL1A1, and TGF-β in the lung tissues were all significantly higher in ozone-exposed ACE2 KO mice (P < 0.01). No significant difference was found in airway resistance between ozone-exposed ACE KO mice and WT mice after challenge with 0, 10, 25, or 100 mg/mL of methacholine.@*CONCLUSION@#ACE2 participates in ozone-induced lung inflammation and airway remodeling in mice.

Effect of ditching for drain on control of Oncomelania hupensis snail in beaches of Dongting Lake / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To evaluate the effect of ditching for drain on the control of the breed of Oncomelania hupensis snails in beaches of Dongting Lake. Methods From November,2009 to November,2012,an O. hupensis snail infested beach of the Yueyang jail and an O. hupensis snail infested beach of Junshan District were selected as research fields in the eastern Dongting Lake area,and the former,as the intervention field,was performed with the ditching for drain by excavators and the latter,as the control field,was not. Results Before the project implemented,the average soil moisture contents on the beaches in dry seasons of the two fields were both about 35.56%. After the project implemented,in the intervention field,the average soil mois?ture content was 26.53%which was significantly lower than that(35.56%)in the control field(F=6.53,P0.05),and after the project implemented(in 2012),no adult and young snails were found in the interventional field,but in the control field,the average densities of living snails and young snails were 29.37 snails/0.1 m2 and 213±108.45 snails/0.1 m2 respectively. Conclusion The intervention of ditching for drain can decrease the soil moisture contents quickly and change the ecological condition,therefore,can control the breed of O. hupensis snails in the beaches of Dongting Lake.

Study on correlated factors and clinical features of fungal rhinosinusitis / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the correlated factors and clinical features of fungal rhinosinusitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 110 patients with fungal rhinosinusitis treated by surgery and another group of 110 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis who were sampled randomly between January 1999 and June 2004 in our hospital were retrospectively compared. The correlated factors and the clinical features of fungal rhinosinusitis were investigated by using the multiple factor Logistic regression analysis and chi-square test. The pathological types of 110 fungal rhinosinusitis were classified by using Gomori methenamine silver staining which was special for fungi.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The logistic regression predictive equation for fungal rhinosinusitis was : y = -8.713 + 0.496x1 + 4.575x2 + 1. 190x3 + 4.119x4 + 1.199x5 + 2. 698x6, P = exp (y)/[1 + exp(y)], in which the concomitant variables were course of the disease (x1), haem-nasal discharge (x2), headache (x3), calcified plaque in CT scan (x4), age (x5) and unilateral/bilateral sinus lesion (x6), respectively. The P value meant the probability of suffering fungal rhinosinusitis. Compared with chronic rhinosinusitis, the clinical features of fungal rhinosinusitis were female, over 40-year-old, course of disease < 3 years, headache, haem-nasal discharge, unilateral sinus lesion and calcified plaque in CT scan. Among the 110 patients with fungal rhinosinusitis, 34 cases were chronic invasive and 76 were non-invasive.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The clinical features of fungal rhinosinusitis are significant for the diagnosis, and it can be predicted by using the suitable logistic predictable equation.</p>