Assessment of myocardial injury in neonates born to pregnant women with pregnancy complicated by severe preeclampsia by myocardial work indices: a prospective study / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To evaluate myocardial injury in neonates born to pregnant women with pregnancy complicated by severe preeclampsia by myocardial work indices.@*METHODS@#A prospective cohort study was performed on 25 preterm infants born to the pregnant women with severe preeclampsia from June 2020 to April 2021 (severe preeclampsia group), and 25 preterm infants born to the pregnant women without severe complications in pregnancy were enrolled as the control group. Echocardiography was performed within 24 hours and at 48-72 hours and 14-28 days after birth to measure conventional parameters. Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography was performed to construct a noninvasive left ventricular pressure-strain loop based on two-dimensional myocardial strain and left ventricular systolic pressure noninvasively measured, so as to calculate myocardial work indices.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the control group, the severe preeclampsia group had significant reductions in left ventricular global work index and global constructive work within 24 hours after birth (P<0.05), a significant reduction in left ventricular global work efficiency and a significant increase in global waste work at 48-72 hours after birth (P<0.05), and a significant reduction in left ventricular global work efficiency at 14-28 days after birth (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Subclinical myocardial injury persists in the neonatal period in preterm infants born to pregnant women with severe preeclampsia.

Association between serum uric acid and subclinical cardiac damage in children with primary hypertension / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the condition of subclinical cardiac damage in children with primary hypertension and the association between serum uric acid and subclinical cardiac damage.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 55 children who were hospitalized and diagnosed with primary hypertension in the Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University from January 2015 to June 2020. Forty-five healthy children, matched for age and sex, were enrolled as the control group. The two groups were compared in terms of clinical features, laboratory examination, and parameters for left ventricular structure, systolic function, and diastolic function. The correlation of serum uric acid with the parameters for left ventricular structure, systolic function, and diastolic function in children with primary hypertension was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the control group, the hypertension group had significantly higher left ventricular mass (LVM), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and relative wall thickness (RWT) (@*CONCLUSIONS@#Children with primary hypertension may have subclinical cardiac damage such as left ventricular hypertrophy, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, left atrial enlargement, and proximal aortic dilation. Elevated serum uric acid is significantly associated with cardiac damage in children with primary hypertension.

An improved quantitative method for evaluating neurological deficits in mice with focal cerebral ischemia / 生理学报

The purpose of this study was to develop a quantitative and objective method for evaluating neurological deficits in mice with focal cerebral ischemia. After middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), the neurological deficits were evaluated 24 h later. We measured the mean angles, dominant angles and turns in a hanged test in which the mice were sticked on the wall, and the holding angles in an inclined plane test as well, Then we determined the cerebral infarct volumes, neuron density in hippocampus, cortex and subcortical areas 24 h after MCAO. The correlations among infarct volume, neuron density and neurological deficits were analyzed. We also compared the quantitative method with two typical complex methods of behavioral assessment. The effect of [pranlukast, 4-oxo-8-[p-(4-phenylbutyloxy) benzoylamino]-2-(tetrazol-5-yl)-4H-1-benzopyran hemihydrate] (ONO-1078), a neuroprotective agent, on ischemic injury was observed using this method. We found that the variables measured by both quantitative and typical behavioral methods significantly changed in the ischemic mice, and correlated with the infarct volumes and neuron densities. The quantitative variables well correlated with those of typical behavioral assessment, too. ONO-1078 inhibited ischemic injury and reduced the total scores of quantitative assessment. Thus, the quantitative method we developed is useful in evaluating neurological deficits of focal cerebral ischemia with the advantages of objectivity, quantification, simplicity and non-invasion, and can be used in the evaluation of neuroprotective effects of drugs.

Light transmission measurement of focal ischemic cerebral infarction in mice / 浙江大学学报·医学版

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of light transmission to measure focal cerebral ischemia in mice. METHODS: Persistent focal cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artey occlusion (MCAO) in mice. The brain were removed 24 h after MCAO and coronally dissected into 1 mm sections. Using a stereomicroscope, the brain section was illuminated with a halogen lamp and computerized images were stored. Next the brain sections were stained for 30 minutes with 0.5% TTC (2, 3, 5-triphenylterzolim chloride) at 37 degrees C. Using an image analyzer (AnalyPower 1.0), the infarct volumes obtained by light transmittance and TTC staining were calculated. Integrated gray scales of sections of both hemispheres were calculated by Photoshop 5.0. RESULTS: A close correlation existed between cerebral infarct volume measured by light transmission and TTC staining (r=0.81). The mean gray scales measured by both techniques of the ischemic hemispheres as well as those of the cortex, subcortex and hippocampus were siginificantly higher than those of non-ischemic hemispheres and of control mouse hemispheres (P <0.001). Further there were no significant difference between the two hemispheres of control mice and between hemispheres of control mice and non-ischemic hemispheres of the MCAO mice. CONCLUSION: Light transmission can be used for qualitative analysis of focal cerebral ischemia.

Application of Simple Biopsy Clip by Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous on Renal Biopsy in Children / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To analyze the safety and diagnostic value of ultrasound-guided biopsy with simple biopsy clip in children.Methods Under simple biopsy clip 52 cases were performed percutaneous renal biopsy.Then the curative rate and the incidence rate of complications were evaluated.Results Of 52 cases,49 cases(94.23%) gained enough renal tissue specimen for histological evaluation;Three failed cases occurred at early stage,nothing was found at later stage.The main complication was macroscopic hematuria occurred only once or twice after the operation and perirenal hematoma in 1.92% of the cases.No other severe complications were found.Conclusions The biopsy clip is convenient and sterile,and can guide the biopsy device exactly and safely.The use of 18-gauge biopsy gun and the automated biopsy device in children can decrease the complication rate,which can be easily performed.