Protective effect of excretory-secretory proteins from Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae against myocardial injury in septic mice / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the protective effect of excretory-secretory proteins from Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae (Ts-MES) on sepsis-induced myocardial injury in mice.@*METHODS@#Eighty male BALB/C mice were randomized equally into sham-operated group, myocardial injury group, Ts-MES treatment group and dexamethasone treatment group. In the latter 3 groups, sepsis-induced myocardial injury models were established by cecal ligation and perforation; the sham operation was performed by exposure of the cecum without ligation or perforation. Forty minutes after the operation, the mice were given intraperitoneal injections 150 μL PBS, 20 μg TS-MES or 0.3 mg/kg dexamethasone as indicated. At 12 h after the operation, 6 mice were randomly selected from each group for echocardiography, and 8 mice were used for observing the survival rate within 72 h. The remaining 6 mice were examined for myocardial pathologies with HE staining and serum levels of NTPro-BNP and cTnI with ELISA; the expressions of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10 and TGF-β in the serum and myocardial tissue were detected using ELISA and qRT-PCR.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the sham-operated mice, the septic mice showed significantly decreased cardiac function indexes (LVEF, LVFS, and E/A) with lowered survival rate within 72 h (P < 0.001) and significantly higher myocardial injury scores and serum levels of NTPro-BNP and cTnI (P < 0.01). Treatment with TS-MES significantly improved the cardiac function and 72-h survival rate (P < 0.05) and lowered the myocardial injury scores and serum levels of NTPro-BNP and cTnI (P < 0.05) in the septic mice. Compared with the sham-operated mice, the septic mice had obviously increased TNF-α and IL-6 levels in the serum and myocardial tissue (P < 0.001), which were significantly lowered by treatment with TS-MES (P < 0.05). TS-MES and dexamethasone both increased the levels of IL-10 and TGF-β in the septic mice, but the changes were significant only in TS-MES-treated mice (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Ts-MES are capable of protecting against myocardial injury in septic mice by reducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhancing the levels of regulatory cytokines.

Comparison of heart failure and COVID-19 in chest CT features and clinical characteristics / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To identify the characteristics including clinical features and pulmonary computed tomography (CT) features of heart failure and COVID-19. Methods: This study was a retrospective study. A total of 7 patients with heart failure and 12 patients with COVID-19 in the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between December 1, 2019 and February 15, 2020 were enrolled. The baseline clinical and imaging features of the two groups were statistically analyzed. Results: There was no significant difference in age and sex between the two groups(both P>0.05), but the incidence of epidemiological contact history, fever or respiratory symptoms in the COVID-19 group was significantly higher than that in the heart failure group (12/12 vs. 0, P<0.001; 12/12 vs. 4/7, P=0.013). While the proportion of cardiovascular diseases and impaired cardiac function was significantly less than that of the heart failure group(2/12 vs.7/7, P<0.001；0 vs.7/7, P<0.001). For imaging features, both groups had ground-glass opacity and thickening of interlobular septum, but the ratio of central and gradient distribution was higher in patients with heart failure than that in patients with COVID-19 (4/7 vs. 1/12, P=0.04). In heart failure group, the ratio of the expansion of pulmonary veins was also higher (3/7 vs. 0，P=0.013), and the lung lesions can be significantly improved after effective anti-heart failure treatment. Besides, there were more cases with rounded morphology in COVID-19 group（9/12 vs. 2/7, P=0.048）. Conclusions: More patients with COVID-19 have epidemiological history and fever or respiratory symptoms. There are significant differences in chest CT features, such as enlargement of pulmonary veins, lesions distribution and morphology between heart failure and COVID-19.

Features of functional MRI in children with oppositional defiant disorder / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the characteristics of functional magnetic resonance imaging in brain of children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)when performing an impulsive task and to explore the brain structure of impulsivity.@*METHODS@#Ten ODD children and 10 age and sex-matched control children were recruited. The stimulus task with GOSTOP impulsivity paradigm software was used as the mode of stimulus-rest-stimulus. The data of 2 groups were normalized, merged, and averaged, and then the activation regions were compared by SPM software.@*RESULTS@#More scattered cortex and subcortex regions were activated in the ODD group than in the control group during the performance of an impulsive task. The activated cortex in the control group focused on the frontal pole (including inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus and orbital-frontal gyrus) and temporal pole (including inferior temporal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus).@*CONCLUSION@#Frontal pole may be an important region related to multiplicity impulsivity, and shows hypofunction in ODD children.

Preliminary clinical application of percutaneous vertebroplasty / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the clinical application of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP).@*METHODS@#PVP was performed in 21 cases of 37 vertebral lesions,including 14 osteoporotic compression fractures, 6 metastases, 1 hemangioma,and 17 lesions in thoracic vertebra and 20 in lumbar. The procedures of PVP were as follows: The needle was inserted via percutaneous transpedicular approach or percutaneous posterolateral vertebral approach; the needle tip was placed at the junction of the anterior located the one third of the vertebral body; intraosseous venography was performed; and last bone cement was injected at 2-10 mL. The technical success rate, clinical efficacy and complications were observed after the procedure. Results The procedure was successful in 18 cases with 31 lesions,and the success rate according to the number of cases and vertebral lesions was 85.7% (18/21) and 83.8% (31/37), respectively. After the procedure, the numbers of complete remission, partial remission, mild remission and no remission were 10, 5, 2 and 1, respectively; and the total effective rate was 94.4% (17/18). Progressive compression did not occur. Three patients had transient neuropathy and recovered after physiotherapy. Other complications were insignificant; no severe complications occurred. Conclusion PVP is an effective and micro-traumatic treatment for patients with benign and malignant lesions in vertebral bodies.