Impact of interventional therapy on top of standard drug therapy on left ventricular structure and function in HFrEF patients complicating with middle aortic syndrome caused by Takayasu arteritis / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To evaluate the impact of interventional therapy on top of drug therapy on cardiac function and structure in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients complicating with middle aortic syndrome caused by Takayasu arteritis (TA-MAS). Methods: It was a retrospective longitudinal study. The data of patients with TA-MAS and HFrEF, who received interventional therapy on top of drug therapy in Fuwai Hospital from January 2010 to September 2020, were collected and analyzed. Baseline clinical data (including demographic data, basic treatment, etc.) were collected through the electronic medical record system. Changes of indexes such as New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular mass index (LVMI) before and after therapy were analyzed. Results: A total of 10 patients were collected. There were 8 females in this patient cohort, age was (18.4±5.0) years and onset age was (15.3±5.0) years. All 10 patients received standard heart failure medication therapy in addition to hormone and/or immunosuppressive anti-inflammatory therapy, but cardiac function was not improved, so aortic balloon dilatation and/or aortic stenting were performed in these patients. The median follow-up was 3.3(1.3, 5.6) years. On the third day after interventional therapy, the clinical symptoms of the 10 patients were significantly improved, NYHA classfication was restored from preoperative Ⅲ/Ⅳ to Ⅱ at 6 months post intervention(P<0.05). Compared with preoperation, NT-proBNP (P=0.028), LVEDD (P=0.011) and LVMI (P=0.019) were significantly decreased, LVEF was significantly increased (P<0.001) at 6 months after operation. Compared with preoperation, NT-proBNP (P=0.016), LVEDD (P=0.023) and LVMI (P=0.043) remained decreased, LVEF remained increased (P<0.001) at 1 year after operation. Conclusion: Results from short and medium term follow-up show that interventional therapy on top of heart failure drug therpay can effectively improve left cardiac function and attenuate cardiac remodeling in patients with TA-MAS comorbid with HFrEF.

Cichoric acid from extracted Echinacea purpurea induces the proliferation and apoptosis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from yaks

BACKGROUND: Cichoric acid (CA) is extracted from Echinacea purpurea. It is well known and widely used for its immunological function. However, the effect of CA on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from yaks is still unclear. This study investigated the potential influences of CA on the proliferation, cytokine induction, and apoptosis of PBMCs from Datong yak in vivo, and aimed to provide a basis for exploring the pharmacological activities of CA on yaks. RESULTS: In this study, CA promoted PBMCs proliferation by combining concanavalin A (Con A) and exhibited a dose-dependent effect as demonstrated by a Cell Counting Kit-8. The concentration of 60 µg/ml CA was the best and promoted the transformation from the G0/G1 phase to the S and G2/M phases with Con A. Furthermore, 60 µg/ml CA significantly increased IL-2, IL-6, and IFN-γ levels and PCNA, CDK4 and Bcl-2 expression levels, but it significantly inhibited the TP53, Bax, and Caspase-3 expression levels. Transcriptome analysis revealed a total of 6807 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the CA treatment and control groups. Of these genes, 3788 were significantly upregulated and 3019 were downregulated. Gene Ontology and pathway analysis revealed that DEGs were enriched in cell proliferation and immune function signaling pathways. The expression level of some transcription factors (BTB, Ras, RRM_1, and zf-C2H2) and genes (CCNF, CCND1, and CDK4) related to PBMCs proliferation in yaks were significantly promoted after CA treatment. By contrast, anti-proliferation-associated genes (TP53 and CDKN1A) were inhibited. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, CA could regulate the immune function of yaks by promoting proliferation and inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis of PBMCs.

Far infrared drying characteristics and kinetics of Angelicae Sinensis Radix slices / 中草药

Objective: Taking Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR) slices as the research object, the far infrared drying characteristics and kinetic model of ASR slice were explored, which provided a theoretical basis for improving the quality of dry products and establishing a suitable processing method. Methods: The far-infrared drying technique was applied to the drying of ASR. The far-infrared drying characteristics and dry product quality of ASR were studied under different drying temperature, slice thickness and irradiation height, and the Weibull function was used to fit the drying curve. The quantitative relationship between test factors and model parameters were established. Results: With the increase of drying temperature and the decrease of the slice thickness and the irradiation height, the water ratio was decreased significantly, and the drying rate was increased significantly. The far-infrared drying process of the ASR slice obeyed the Weibull distribution function (R2 = 0.983 34-0.999 34, χ2 = 0.001 3-0.006 5), both the size parameter and the shape parameter were related to the drying temperature, slice thickness and irradiation height; The interval for estimating the water diffusion coefficient (Dcal) was 4.698 × 10-11-2.084 × 10-10 m2/s. The effective moisture diffusion coefficient (Deff) was in the range of 3.891 × 10-9-2.179 2 × 10-8 m2/s, both of which tended to increase with the increase of drying temperature, slice thickness and irradiation height. Compared with dry products from hot-hair drying, the color difference and water activity of far infrared drying were smaller, and it was easier to retain ferulic acid and volatile oil in ASR. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the microstructure of dry products under different drying conditions showed that far infrared increased the interior of ASR slices. The number of micropores was increased, the cells were arranged more neatly, so as to increase the rate of thermal mass migration during the drying process and reduce the drying time. Conclusion: The Weibull distribution function can predict the water migration law of the drying process of ASR. It is of great significance for the prediction of the drying process of ASR and the process optimization.

Progress in application of mediastinoscopy in the radical resection of esophageal cancer / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Esophageal carcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumor, a serious threat to human health. In the early and middle esophageal carcinoma patients, surgery is the only expected treatment to cure esophageal carcinoma. Traditional surgery of esophageal cancer needs thoracotomy and laparotomy, which has great trauma and high incidence of complications. So surgeons are looking for a minimally invasive surgical methods alternative to traditional esophagectomy. Video-mediastinoscopy is used to free middle and upper esophagus, as a minimally invasive surgical method, it is used in radical resection of esophageal cancer gradually. This article reviews the recent progress and the related research results in the application of mediastinoscopy in the radical resection of esophageal cancer. It is found that mediastinoscopy assisted the radical resection of esophageal cancer is a safe and feasible operation. It provides a feasible treatment option for early and middle stage esophageal cancer patients with pulmonary insufficiency who can not be resected by thoracoscopy.

Comparison of different types of thymectomy for the treatment of thymoma with myasthenia gravis / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

Thymoma; myasthenia gravis; thoracoscopy combined with mediastinoscopy; thymectomy@#Objective     To compare the different surgical treatment methods of thymoma combined with myasthenia gravis (MG), and to discuss the clinical effectiveness of thoracoscopic combined mediastinoscopic extended thymectomy. Methods     We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 58 patients of thymoma combined with myasthenia gravis in Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital between 2011 and 2016 year. According to the operation method, the patients were divided into three groups including a group A for thoracoscopic thymectomy (n=32), a group B for thoracoscopic combined mediastinoscopic thymectomy (n=15), and a group C for transsternal thymectomy (n=11). The clinical effects were observed and compared. Results     In the group A and the group B, the bleeding volume, postoperative hospital stay and other complications were significantly lower than those in the group C with statistical differences (P<0.05). The incidence of myasthenic crisis in the group B (6.7%) was less than that in the group C (36.4 %), but the difference was not statistically different (P=0.058). The operation time of the three groups was 122.0 ± 39.4 min, 130.3 ± 42.5 min, and 142.3 ± 40.8 min respectively with no statistical difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The rate of dissection grade in the group B (grade 1, 12 patients, 80%) was significantly greater than that in the group A (grade 1, 14 patients, 43.8%, P<0.05). The effective rate of the group A, the group B, the group C was 84.4%, 93.3% and 90.9%, respectively with no statistical difference between groups (P>0.05). Conclusion     The thoracoscopy combined mediastinoscopic thymectomy not only has the advantages of less trauma, quicker recovery and fewer complications, but also can more thoroughly clean the thymus and adipose tissue, which can achieve the same therapeutic effect as the transsternal thymectomy.

The Impact of Renal Artery Stenting Techniques on Interventional Therapy Upon Anatomical Correlation of Abdominal Aorta and Renal Artery / 中国循环杂志

Objective: To evaluate the impact of renal artery stenting techniques upon anatomical correlation of abdominal aorta and renal artery. Methods: A total of 182 patients with unilateral atherosclerotic renal stenosis and received renal artery stenting in our hospital from 2012-01 to 2013-12 were retrospective studied. Based on the angle of infrarenal abdominal aorta and renal artery, the patients were divided into 3 groups: Group A (91-120)°, n=20, Group B (61-90)°, n=125 and Group C, (30-60)°, n=37. According to the tortuosity of infrarenal abdominal aorta and/or iliac artery, the patients were divided into 2 groups: Non-tortuosity group, n=146 and Tortuosity group, n=36. Operative techniques included in ①wire anchoring alone, ②wire anchoring+balloon rod assisting and③anchoring with wire and balloon. The ratio of upper extremity artery approaching (brachial or radial artery), X-ray exposure time, operation time, contrast dosage and relevant complications were compared among different groups upon stent placing. Results: Compared with Group A and Group B, the following parameters were increased in Group C: ratios for using technique ② + ③ (100.0% vs 20.0%, 31.2%), for extremity artery approaching (10.8% vs 0.0%, 1.6%); X-ray exposure time (9.2±3.8) min vs (5.2±3.1) min, (5.3±2.8) min, operation time (27.4±6.5) min vs (18.6±5.7) min, (20.5±6.1) min; contrast dosage (59.3±8.4) ml vs (44.8±7.2) ml, (48.4±7.3) ml and the incidences of relevant complications (8.1% vs 0.0%, 0.8%), all P<0.05. The above parameter were similar between Group A and Group B. Compared with Non-tortuosity group, the following parameters were elevated in Tortuosity group: ratios for using technique ②+③ (72.2% vs 11.6%), for extremity artery approaching (11.1% vs 1.4%), the total incidences of X-ray exposure time, operation time, contrast dosage and relevant complications (8.3% vs 0.7%), all P<0.05. Conclusion: The acute angle of infrarenal abdominal aorta and renal artery as well as the tortuosity of infrarenal abdominal aorta may increase the difficulty in renal artery interventional therapy .

Safety and Feasibility Assessment for Treating Severe External Carotid Artery Stenosis and Ipsilateral Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion by External Carotid Artery Stenting / 中国循环杂志

Objective: To assess the safety and feasibility for treating the patients with severe external carotid artery (ECA) stenosis and ipsilateral internalcarotid artery (ICA)occlusion by external carotid artery steting (ECAS). Methods: A total of 17 consecutive patients with severe ECA stenosis and ipsilateral ICA occlusion treated in our hospital by ECAS from 2008-01 to 2013-06 were retrospectively studied. Post-operative improvements of cerebral ischemia and neurocognitive function [Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Montreal cognitive assessment (MOCA)] were evaluated, complications at peri-operative and 12 months follow-up period were recorded. Results: The patients' mean age was (65.4±8.0) years including 13(76.5％) male. The success rate of ECAS was 100％;2 patients had hemodynamic depression at peri-operative period and were completely recovered by 2 days treatment.1 patient suffered from contralateral minor stroke at 12 months follow-up time, the other 16 patients were without cerebral ischemia symptoms. No complication occurred at peri-operative and 12 months follow-up period. Compared with pre-operative condition, MMSE score [(25.1±1.4) vs (23.3±1.8), P<0.01] and MOCA score [(23.9±1.2) vs (22.2±1.6), P<0.01] were increased at 3 months after ECAS; both scores were continuously increasing during 12 months follow-up period. Conclusion: ECAS may improve cerebral ischemia and cognitive function in patients with severe ECA stenosis and ipsilateral ICA occlusion.

Pediatric suppurative parotitis caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei

Suppurative parotitis caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei has been rarely found outside endemic areas. Case presentation: Herein, we report the recovery of Burkholderia pseudomallei from the pus of a suppurative parotitis observed in a 12-year-old boy who lived in Hainan province, China. Specimens of necrotic tissue were collected and sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Pus sample was also collected for bacteriological examination. The suppurative inflammation was observed in the necrotic tissue section and Burkholderia pseudomallei were detected in the sample. Conclusion: In this adolescent, Burkholderia pseudomallei infection was present in the parotid, which consists of the first report of this bacterium in a parotitis case acquired in China.

Pediatric suppurative parotitis caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei

Background: Suppurative parotitis caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei has been rarely found outside endemic areas. Case presentation: Herein, we report the recovery of Burkholderia pseudomallei from the pus of a suppurative parotitis observed in a 12-year-old boy who lived in Hainan province, China. Specimens of necrotic tissue were collected and sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Pus sample was also collected for bacteriological examination. The suppurative inflammation was observed in the necrotic tissue section and Burkholderia pseudomallei were detected in the sample. Conclusion: In this adolescent, Burkholderia pseudomallei infection was present in the parotid, which consists of the first report of this bacterium in a parotitis case acquired in China.(AU)

Observation on the clinical efficacy of intravitreal injection of Conbercept for the treatment of wet age - related macular degeneration / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To observe the efficacy and safety of intravitreal injection of Conbercept for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration( AMD) . METHODS:Retrospective analysis. A total of 20 patients involving 22 eyes were diagnosed of wet AMD and confirmed by routine ophthalmic examination, fundus fluorescein angiography ( FFA ) and optical coherence tomography. All these affected eyes received intravitreal injection of 10 mg/ml of 0. 5mg Conbercept, once monthly, for 3 successive times during the initial treatment. The need for repeated treatment was determined according to patients'disease conditions. The patients were followed up once monthly for ≥6mo. The changes in best corrected visual acuity ( BCVA ) , central retinal thickness ( CRT ) and choroidal neovascularization ( CNV) lesion leakage of the affected eyes before and after treatment were compared and analyzed. RESULTS:Within 1, 3 and 6mo after treatment, the mean BCVA ( logMAR ) of the affected eyes increased when compared with before treatment;the difference was statistically significant(PCONCLUSION: Clinically, intravitreal injection of Conbercept for the treatment of wet AMD can increase visual acuity of the affected eyes. It also can decrease CRT of the affected eyes, and inhibit neovascular leakage. There are no treatment-related adverse reactions.

Emodin Induces Apoptosis of K562/Adr Cells Probably through Akt-Caspase 3 Signal Pathway / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the apoptosis-inducing effects of emodin on multidrug resistant leukemia cell line K562/Adr, and to explore the role of Akt-Caspase 3 signal pathway in apoptosis of K562/Adr cells treated with emodin.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>K562/Adr cells were exposed to emodin of different doses. The ability of emodin to induce apoptosis of K562/Adr cells was detected by Annexin V/PI double labeled flow cytometry and DNA ploidy analysis, the expressions of procaspase-3, PARP, Akt, p-Akt protein were determined by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Apoptosis in K562/Adr cells could be induced by emodin in a dose dependent manner, Western blot results showed that emodin down-regulated the expression levels of procaspase-3, Akt, p-Akt, PARA 116 KD in treated K562/Adr cells, up-regulated expressions leves of PARP 85 KD in a time-dependent manner.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The Akt-Caspase 3 signal pathway may be involved in these processes.</p>

Targeted Silencing of Heparanase Gene by Small Interfering RNA Inhibits Invasiveness and Metastasis of Osteosarcoma Cells / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The effects of targeted silencing of heparanase gene by small interfering RNA (siRNA) on invasiveness and metastasis of osteosarcoma cells (MG63 cells) were investigated in the present study.Two complementary oligonucleotide strands were synthesized and inserted into pGenesil-1 vector based on the mRNA sequence of heparanase gene.The expression vector containing short hairpin RNA (pGenesil-shRNA) was constructed successfully.MG63 cells were randomly allocated into 3 groups:blank group,empty vector (pGenesil) transfected group and expression vector (pGenesil-shRNA) transfected group.Under the induction of Lipofectamine 2000,the recombinants were transfected into MG63cells.Heparanase gene expression level was detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting.Cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay.Cell invasiveness and metastasis were examined by cell adhesion and Transwell-ECM assays.HUVECs migration assay was applied for the detection of angiogenesis.As compared with negative controls,the mRNA and protein expression levels ofheparanase were down-regulated by 76.1％ (P＜0.01) and 75.3％ (P＜0.01) respectively in the pGenesil-shRNA transfected group.Meanwhile,the proliferation,adhesiveness,invasiveness and angiogenesis properties of MG63 cells were all significantly inhibited.It was suggested that targeted silencing of heparanase gene by siRNA could dramatically inhibit the invasiveness and metastasis of osteosarcoma cells.

Identification, structure and function of a novel tetraspaninhomologue from Spirometra erinaceieuropaei

OBJECTIVE@#To identify a full length c DNA sequence of a novel tetraspanin (TSP) homologue from Spirometra erinaceieuropaei and to predict the structure and function of its encoding protein using bioinformatics methods.@*METHODS@#Using the NCBI, EMBI, Expasy and other online sites, the open reading frame (ORF), conserved domain, physical and chemical parameters, signal peptide, transmembrane domain, epitope, topological structures of the protein sequences were predicted. And Vector NTI software was used for multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree construction.@*RESULTS@#The target sequence was 1132 bp length with a 681 bpbiggest ORF encoding 226 amino acids protein with typical TSP conserved domain. It was confirmed as full length c DNA of TSP16 from Spirometra erinaceieuropaei and named as SeTSP16 (GenBank accession number: JF728872). The predicted molecular weight and isoelectric point of the deduced protein were 24 750.5 Da and 7.88 Da, respectively. Compared with TSP16s from Schistosoma japonicum and Schistosoma mansoni, it showed similarity of 59% and 59%, respectively. SeTSP16 contained four transmembrane domains (TM1-4), intracellular N and C-termini, one short small extracellular loop and one large extracellular loop. Four major epitopes that were significant different from the corresponding epitope regions of TSP16 from Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum were predicted.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The full length c DNA sequences of SeTSP16 are identified. It encodes a transmembrane protein which might be an ideal diagnosis antigen and target molecule for antiparasitic drugs.

Clinical and experimental study on the reattachment of fractured anterior teeth / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical results of three bonding patterns for the reattachment of anterior fractured teeth.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The reattachment of 59 anterior fractured teeth was performed using three bonding patterns, which were pattern A (pulp chamber concave + labial chamfer), pattern B (pulp chamber concave + lingual notch) and pattern C (pulp chamber concave + lingual notch + labial chamfer), and followed up for more than 24 months. Pattern A, B and C were 14 teeth, 14 teeth and 31 teeth, respectively. Twenty-one sectioned maxillary central incisors (obtained from patients with periodontal disease) whose edge fragments reattached using the three bonding patterns were used for the experimental study of shear bond strength, and each pattern was used in 7 teeth.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Three reattached teeth fractured again due to another trauma, two of which was pattern B and one was pattern A. The reattachment of the remaining 56 anterior fractured teeth was successful after a follow up of mean 28.3 months. The experimental study showed that bonding pattern A and C could bear more shear stress than bonding pattern B (F = 5.161, P = 0.017).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The present study suggests that bonding pattern A (pulp chamber concave + labial chamfer) and C (pulp chamber concave + lingual notch + labial chamfer) were the best methods for the reattachment of fractured anterior teeth.</p>

Activation of protein kinase A alters subnuclear distribution pattern of human steroidogenic factor 1 in living cells / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The aim of this study was to identify the subnuclear distribution pattern of human orphan nuclear receptor steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) in living cells with and without the activation of protein kinase A (PKA) signal pathway, and thus try to explain the unknown mechanism by which PKA potentiates SF-1 transactivation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Full-length cDNAs of wild type and a naturally occurring mutant (G35E) human SF-1 were cloned and fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP). Subcellular distribution pattern of human SF-1 in living cells, whose PKA signaling was either activated or not, was studied by laser confocal microscopy after the validity of the gene sequence was confirmed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The transactivation ability of the GFP-SF-1 chimeric protein was highly conserved. Wild type human SF-1 diffused homogeneously within the nuclei of cells when PKA was not active, and converged to clear foci when PKA was activated. Mutant SF-1 diffused within the nuclei even in the presence of PKA activation, surprisingly aggregating as fluorescent dots inside the nucleoli, a phenomenon not altered by PKA.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Activation of PKA causes wild type, but not mutant SF-1 to alter its subnuclear distribution pattern to a transactivationally active form (foci formation). This finding may throw new light on the mechanism by which PKA activates the orphan nuclear receptor.</p>