A study on variation in spatial voltage distribution pattern across tissue layers between non-excitable plant and excitable plant

Understanding the mechanism of information processing in plants remains a challenging task even in the era of machine learning and artificial neural networks. Sir J.C. Bose had demonstrated through his experiments that the various modes of stimulation which effectively initiated nervous impulse in animals led to impulse generation in the excitable plant Mimosa pudica as well. In order to localize the tissue responsible for conduction of excitation in the petiole of Mimosa, Bose had constructed a specialized ‘Electric Probe’ (glass tip electrode). From this experiment, Bose found that there were different intensities of transmitted excitation in different tissue layers of the petiole. In this backdrop, an experimental research has been conducted to comparatively study the pattern of spatial voltage distribution across different tissue layers in both, a non-excitable plant Alternanthera philoxeroides (in stem) and an excitable plant Mimosa pudica (in petiole), by following experimental principles similar to that of Sir J. C. Bose. For the present experimental study, the electrical probes (glass tip electrode), similar to the one designed by J.C. Bose and the whole experimental setup has been constructed and developed completely in the laboratory. The results indicated a striking difference in the spatial voltage distribution pattern between the non-excitable and the excitable plant. Since Mimosa is an excitable plant having specialized mechanoreceptor cells, the change in spatial voltage distribution in the different layers of petiole, following excitation (uniform electrical stimuli) of a sub-petiole has been also studied, as an additional segment of the present research. In the present study a notable difference in the intensities of the transmitted excitation was also found upon electrical stimulation of one of the sub-petioles of the excitable plant M. pudica.

Effect of meridian sinew releasing technique on moxibustion sensation of heat-sensitive moxibustion in patients with knee osteoarthritis / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of meridian sinew releasing technique on moxibustion sensation of heat-sensitive moxibustion in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).@*METHODS@#A total of 60 patients with KOA were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases each group. In the observation group, on the basis of the meridian sinew releasing technique, moxibustion sensation exploration method was applied at Dubi (ST 35) area on the affected side. In the control group, moxibustion sensation exploration method was applied at Dubi (ST 35) area on the affected side. The meridian sinew releasing technique was performed for 20 min each time, the moxibustion sensation exploration method was performed for 60 min each time, once a day for 3 days. The excitation rate, latency, duration time and intensity value of moxibustion sensation of heat-sensitive moxibustion were recorded on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd days of exploration in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#The excitation rate on the 3rd day of exploration and total excitation rate in the observation group were higher than the control group (P<0.05). On the 1st, 2nd and 3rd days of exploration, the latency of moxibustion sensation of heat-sensitive moxibustion in the observation group was shorter than the control group (P<0.05), the duration time was longer than the control group (P<0.05), and the intensity value was higher than the control group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Meridian sinew releasing technique could improve the excitation rate of moxibustion sensation of heat-sensitive moxibustion in patients with KOA, shorten the latency, prolong the duration time, and improve the intensity value.

No obvious symptoms in acute (eltroxin) thyroxine poisoning in euthyroid – A case report

Levothyroxine (T4) (Eltroxin) poisoning is a rare clinical entity which is usually asymptomatic. It can occur accidently, mostly in children, and can happen intentionally in adults with suicidal intention especially psychiatric patients. Thyrotoxicosis from an overdose of medicinal thyroid hormone is a condition that may be associated with a significant delay in onset of toxicity. However, severe symptoms such as respiratory failure, malignant hyperthermia, seizures, arrhythmia, and coma have been reported. In this case report, we present a patient who ingested high doses of levothyroxine i.e., 90 tab. of Eltroxin 100 mcg, for suicidal intension and admitted to intensive care unit. She is an euthyroid person but took these tablets, which her mother was taking Eltroxin tablets for hypothyroidism. Gastric lavage was done with activated charcoal, Inj. Hydrocortisone, Tab Propranolol and Tab Neomercazole administered. Despite ingestion of high dose of levothyroxine, thyrotoxicosis symptoms like palpitations resolved with appropriate treatment and the patient was discharged after complete recovery.

Wolff-Parkinson-White Apresentado como QRS Alternante e Outros Diagnósticos Diferenciais em uma Grande Coorte de Triagem de ECG Pré-Participação / Wolff-Parkinson-White Presenting as QRS Alternans and Other Differential Diagnoses in a Large Pre-Participation ECG Screening Cohort

Resumo Fundamento A síndrome de Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) é uma condição pró-arrítmica que pode exigir restrição de atividades extenuantes e é caracterizada por sinais de ECG, incluindo ondas delta. Observamos casos de padrões intermitentes de WPW apresentando-se como QRS alternante ('WPW alternante') em uma grande coorte de triagem de ECG pré-participação de homens jovens que se candidataram ao recrutamento militar. Objetivos Nosso objetivo foi determinar o padrão de WPW alternante, as características do caso e a prevalência de outros diagnósticos diferenciais relevantes apresentando-se como alternância de QRS em um ambiente de pré-participação. Métodos Cento e vinte e cinco mil cento e cinquenta e oito recrutas militares do sexo masculino prospectivos foram revisados de janeiro de 2016 a dezembro de 2019. Uma revisão de prontuários médicos eletrônicos identificou casos de WPW alternante e padrões ou síndrome de WPW. A revisão de prontuários médicos eletrônicos identificou casos de diagnósticos diferenciais relevantes que podem causar alternância de QRS. Resultados Quatro indivíduos (2,2%) apresentaram WPW alternante em 184 indivíduos com diagnóstico final de padrão ou síndrome de WPW. Dois desses indivíduos manifestaram sintomas ou achados eletrocardiográficos compatíveis com taquicardia supraventricular. A prevalência geral de WPW alternante foi de 0,003%, e a prevalência de WPW foi de 0,147%. As WPW alternantes representaram 8,7% dos indivíduos com QRS alternantes, e QRS alternantes tiveram prevalência de 0,037% em toda a população. Conclusões A WPW alternante é uma variante da WPW intermitente, que compreendeu 2,2% dos casos de WPW em nossa coorte de triagem pré-participação. Não indica necessariamente um baixo risco de taquicardia supraventricular. Deve ser reconhecido na triagem de ECG e distinguido de outras patologias que também apresentam QRS alternantes.

Abstract Background Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a proarrhythmic condition that may require restriction from strenuous activities and is characterized by ECG signs, including delta waves. We observed cases of intermittent WPW patterns presenting as QRS alternans ('WPW alternans') in a large pre-participation ECG screening cohort of young men reporting for military conscription. Objectives We aimed to determine the WPW alternans pattern, case characteristics, and the prevalence of other relevant differential diagnoses presenting as QRS alternans in a pre-participation setting. Methods One hundred twenty-five thousand one hundred fifty-eight prospective male military recruits were reviewed from January 2016 to December 2019. A review of electronic medical records identified cases of WPW alternans and WPW patterns or syndrome. Reviewing electronic medical records identified cases of relevant differential diagnoses that might cause QRS alternans. Results Four individuals (2.2%) had WPW alternans out of 184 individuals with a final diagnosis of WPW pattern or syndrome. Two of these individuals manifested symptoms or ECG findings consistent with supraventricular tachycardia. The overall prevalence of WPW alternans was 0.003%, and the prevalence of WPW was 0.147%. WPW alternans represented 8.7% of individuals presenting with QRS alternans, and QRS alternans had a prevalence of 0.037% in the entire population. Conclusions WPW alternans is a variant of intermittent WPW, which comprised 2.2% of WPW cases in our pre-participation screening cohort. It does not necessarily indicate a low risk for supraventricular tachycardia. It must be recognized at ECG screening and distinguished from other pathologies that also present with QRS alternans.

Sweroside Effectively Protects Against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Regulating Excitation-contraction Coupling / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of sweroside on the protection of cardiac systolic/diastolic function during ischemia/reperfusion （I/R） injury. MethodTwenty-four healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into control group， model group， 10 μmol·L-1 sweroside group and 1 μmol·L-1 digoxin group. The I/R injury was modeled by Langendorff and ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The infarct size in each group was measured by 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining and hemodynamic parameters such as left ventricular diastolic pressure （LVDP）， left ventricular end-diastolic pressure （LVEDP）， left ventricular end-systolic pressure （LVESP）， maximum rate of rising of left ventricular pressure （+dp/dtmax） and maximum rate of decreasing of left ventricular pressure （-dp/dtmax） of rat isolated heart were detected by Powerlab. In addition， neonatal rat cardiomyocytes （NRCMs） were isolated and randomly divided into control group， model group， 1 μmol·L-1 sweroside group and 10 μmol·L-1 sweroside group. Hypoxia/reoxygenation （H/R） injury model was established. Cardiac systolic function and calcium transients were examined by multi-functional cell imaging analyzer and laser confocal microscope. Furthermore， real-time polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was used to verify the mRNA expression of excitation-contraction coupling genes such as L-type calcium channel （Cacnb2）， cytochrome c oxidase subunit 6A2 （Cox6a2）， troponin （Tnnc1， Tnni3， Tnnt2）， actin （Actc1）， and myosin （Myh6， Myl2， Myl4） according to the results of previous transcriptome sequencing and literature investigation. Differentially expressed genes were subjected to cluster analysis. ResultCompared with the conditions in the control group， increased cardiac infarction size （P<0.01） and LVEDP （P<0.01） and decreased LVDP （P<0.01） and LVESP （P<0.05） were observed in the model group， with +dp/dtmax of increasing trend while -dp/dtmax decreasing. Moreover， the cell viability， heart rate and contraction amplitude of NRCMs was reduced （P<0.01）， while the contraction duration， time to peak and relaxation time was elevated （P<0.01） in the model group. Interestingly， sweroside could reverse these indicators （P<0.05）. In addition， the expression of Cacnb2， Cox6a2， Tnnc1， Tnni3， Tnnt2， Actc1， and Myh6， Myl2， and Myl4 was down-regulated in the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）， but sweroside could up-regulate the expression of the above genes （P<0.05）. ConclusionSweroside effectively regulated Ca2+ level in NRCMs， enhanced cardiac systolic function， and protected against H/R injury by regulating excitation-contraction coupling.

Optimization of Lumbar Oblique-Pulling Manipulation Based on Multi-Rigid Body Mechanical Model / 医用生物力学

Objective Comprehensively considering the effectiveness and safety of massage, a method for evaluating the pros and cons of oscillation excitation and pulse excitation for lumbar oblique-pulling manipulation was proposed, and lumbar oblique-pulling manipulation under oscillation excitation was optimized. Methods A multi-rigid body biomechanical model of thoracolumbar spine was established. The manipulation force was used as the input force of the model. Using MATLAB/Simulink, variation of the displacement and acceleration of each lumbar segment with time was simulated. For the optimization of lumbar massage manipulation, the core elements of massage force, namely, frequency (f) and operand (n) were changed, and then the maximum relative displacement and maximum acceleration of each lumbar segment were compared. A new index z was proposed to comprehensively evaluate effectiveness and safety of the manipulation. Results The maximum relative displacement of each lumbar segment was almost equal when lumbar oblique-pulling manipulation under two kinds of excitation was applied. For lumbar oblique-pulling manipulation, the maximum acceleration of each lumbar segment under oscillation excitation was significantly smaller than that under pulse excitation. When the frequency of massage was 1-2.5 Hz, the overall effect of massage was better, and the overall effect had no relation with the operands, and the force of massage lasted for one operand; when the frequency of message was 3.33 Hz and the operands were more than 5, the massage had the best effect, meanwhile the strength of each lumbar segment was relatively large; when the frequency of massage exceeded 5 Hz, and the overall performance of massage was not good. Conclusions Lumbar oblique-pulling manipulation under oscillation excitation is safer than that under pulse excitation. The research findings provide doctors with a reasonable range of operating parameters for lumbar oblique-pulling manipulation under pulse excitation.

Finite Element Analysis on Frequency Response of Human Eye under Acoustic Excitation / 医用生物力学

Objective To study the effects of excitation source, intraocular pressure and material parameters on frequency response of human eye under acoustic excitation. Methods Based on the three-dimensional (3D) finite element model of the whole eye, as well as the deformation and stress distribution of human eye, the effects of various parameters on frequency response of human eye were quantitatively analyzed. Results When other parameters were fixed and only the position and size of the excitation source changed, the amplitude at resonance of human eye (the acoustic excitation source was placed directly above the cornea, at an offset of 45°, and at larger excitation) at 134 Hz was 35, 48 and 133 μm, respectively. When only the intraocular pressure changed, the first-order resonance frequency was almost unaffected by the intraocular pressure, and the resonance frequencies of other orders would shift slightly to the left as the intraocular pressure increased. When only the scleral elastic parameters changed, the resonance frequency of eye tissues increased with the increase of the scleral elasticity. Conclusions The position and size of the excitation source have no effects on resonance frequency of human eye, but they have a greater effect on the resonance amplitude. The material parameters of human eye tissues have a greater effect on the frequency response, and there is a linear relationship between the intraocular pressure and resonance frequency. The results provide the theoretical basis for clinical development of high-performance intraocular pressure monitoring technology.

Application of two-photon imaging technology in the repair evaluation of radiation-induced skin injury in rats / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To evaluate the skin development and repair process of X-ray radiation damage in rat with non-invasive two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) imaging technology in vivo. Methods:Totally 24 SD rats were randomly divided into four groups including X-ray irradiated group (25, 35 and 45 Gy) and non-irradiation control group. At different times after irradiation, the degree of skin injury was evaluated, and the pathological changes of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) [NAD(P)H] and collagen fiber fluorescence signals in epidermal cells were detected in vivo by TPEF imaging technology. Results:At 10 d post-irradiation, the skin of irradiation groups showed erythema and desquamation. At 15-20 d post-irradiation, the skin of radiation groups developed progressive exudation, edema and ulcers with increasing radiation dose. On day 25, the skin began to repair in the 25 Gy group, however, the skin of other groups still had exudation and ulcers. On day 10, NAD(P)H fluorescence signal in epidermal cells of irradiation groups decreased and the fluorescence signal of collagen fibers in papillary layer and reticular layer of irradiation groups reduced, which were significantly lower than that of normal control group ( t=24.145, 28.303, 26.989, 6.654, 7.510, 7.997, P<0.05). On day 30, fluorescence signal of NAD(P)H and collagen fibers in epidermal cells and dermis began to repair, the cell from stratum granulosum, stratum spinosum, and stratum basale in the 25 Gy group showed fluorescence signal, the other groups did not show. The fluorescence signal of collagen fibers in the 25 Gy group were gradually increased in papillary layer and reticular layer, however, they were significantly lower than normal control group ( t=115.133, 17.431, P<0.05), the skin of 45 Gy group did not show fluorescence signal of collagen fibers. Conclusions:The damage and repair process of epidermal cells and dermal collagen fiber can be detected noninvasively by TPEF imaging technology after X-ray irradiation in vivo.

Canonical Transient Receptor Potential Channels and Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Plasticity

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play a pivotal role in the stability and tonic regulation of vascular homeostasis. VSMCs can switch back and forth between highly proliferative (synthetic) and fully differentiated (contractile) phenotypes in response to changes in the vessel environment. Abnormal phenotypic switching of VSMCs is a distinctive characteristic of vascular disorders, including atherosclerosis, pulmonary hypertension, stroke, and peripheral artery disease; however, how the control of VSMC phenotypic switching is dysregulated under pathological conditions remains obscure. Canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) channels have attracted attention as a key regulator of pathological phenotype switching in VSMCs. Several TRPC subfamily member proteins—especially TRPC1 and TRPC6—are upregulated in pathological VSMCs, and pharmacological inhibition of TRPC channel activity has been reported to improve hypertensive vascular remodeling in rodents. This review summarizes the current understanding of the role of TRPC channels in cardiovascular plasticity, including our recent finding that TRPC6 participates in aberrant VSMC phenotype switching under ischemic conditions, and discusses the therapeutic potential of TRPC channels.

Deficiency of Anoctamin 5/TMEM16E causes nuclear positioning defect and impairs Ca²⁺ signaling of differentiated C2C12 myotubes

Anoctamin 5 (ANO5)/TMEM16E belongs to a member of the ANO/TMEM16 family member of anion channels. However, it is a matter of debate whether ANO5 functions as a genuine plasma membrane chloride channel. It has been recognized that mutations in the ANO5 gene cause many skeletal muscle diseases such as limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2L (LGMD2L) and Miyoshi muscular dystrophy type 3 (MMD3) in human. However, the molecular mechanisms of the skeletal myopathies caused by ANO5 defects are poorly understood. To understand the role of ANO5 in skeletal muscle development and function, we silenced the ANO5 gene in C2C12 myoblasts and evaluated whether it impairs myogenesis and myotube function. ANO5 knockdown (ANO5-KD) by shRNA resulted in clustered or aggregated nuclei at the body of myotubes without affecting differentiation or myotube formation. Nuclear positioning defect of ANO5-KD myotubes was accompanied with reduced expression of Kif5b protein, a kinesin-related motor protein that controls nuclear transport during myogenesis. ANO5-KD impaired depolarization-induced [Ca²⁺]i transient and reduced sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca²⁺ storage. ANO5-KD resulted in reduced protein expression of the dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) and SR Ca²⁺-ATPase subtype 1. In addition, ANO5-KD compromised co-localization between DHPR and ryanodine receptor subtype 1. It is concluded that ANO5-KD causes nuclear positioning defect by reduction of Kif5b expression, and compromises Ca²⁺ signaling by downregulating the expression of DHPR and SERCA proteins.

Clinical and prognostic analysis of accessory pathway-induced dilated cardiomyopathy after catheter ablation in children / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective@#To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors after catheter ablation of accessory pathway (AP)-induced dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in children.@*Methods@#Data were collected and analyzed on 147 consecutive pediatric patients (81males and 66 females), who hospitalized in our pediatric heart center between January 2009 and August 2018 and received catheter ablation for ventricular pre-excitation (right AP). Thirty-one children were diagnosed as AP-induced DCM and 116 children with normal cardiac function served as control. Data including clinical characteristics, electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiography, electrophysiological examination (EPS), successful ablation and follow up were analyzed.@*Results@#The median age at first examination was 3.07 (0.09, 5.83) years. The pre-hospital misdiagnosis rate was 87.1% (27/31). The incidence of the AP-induced DCM was 21.1% (31/147) and the rate of right anterior free wall accessory pathway (AP) was the highest (50.0%, 10/20). AP-induced DCM was more common in right free wall Aps (41.9%, 13/31) and right anterior free wall (32.3%, 10/31). 48.4% (15/31) cases had no supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). EPS showed that 29% (9/31) of the AP did not have retrograde conduction. The median follow-up time after successful catheter ablation was 8 (2, 36) months of AP-induced DCM group, LVDd was significantly decreased ((41.6±12.8)mm vs. (45.6±13.9)mm, P<0.01) and LVEF ((56.2±11.8)% vs. (40.8±12.5)%, P<0.01) was significantly increased after ablation. Cox regression analysis showed that LVEF was the predictor of the duration of cardiac function recovery (HR=1.08, 95%CI 1.01-1.15, P=0.03).@*Conclusions@#Misdiagnosis rate is high for children with AP-induced DCM, leading to the delayed treatment. All of the AP-induced DCM occurred in right APs and right anterior free wall APs is the highest. Right free wall APs and right anterior free wall are most common in AP-induced DCM. Catheter ablation is a safe and effective treatment option for these patients. The lower the LVEF, the longer the cardiac function recovery.

Recent trends in two-photon auto-fluorescence lifetime imaging (2P-FLIM) and its biomedical applications

Two photon fluorescence microscopy and the numerous technical advances to it have served as valuable tools in biomedical research. The fluorophores (exogenous or endogenous) absorb light and emit lower energy photons than the absorption energy and the emission (fluorescence) signal is measured using a fluorescence decay graph. Additionally, high spatial resolution images can be acquired in two photon fluorescence lifetime imaging (2P-FLIM) with improved penetration depth which helps in detection of fluorescence signal in vivo. 2P-FLIM is a non-invasive imaging technique in order to visualize cellular metabolic, by tracking intrinsic fluorophores present in it, such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, flavin adenine dinucleotide and tryptophan etc. 2P-FLIM of these molecules enable the visualization of metabolic alterations, non-invasively. This comprehensive review discusses the numerous applications of 2P-FLIM towards cancer, neuro-degenerative, infectious diseases, and wound healing.

DANTE prepulse SPACE MR sequence in quantitative evaluation of arachnoid granules / 中国医学影像技术

Objective To explore the value of delay alternating with nutation for tailored excitation (DANTE)- sampling perfection with application optimized contrast using different flip-angle evolution (SPACE) sequences in quantitative evaluation of arachnoid granules (AG). Methods Thirty patients with arachnoid granules confirmed by conventional imaging were enrolled. All patients underwent SPACE and DANTE-SPACE sequences scanning. Distribution characteristics of arachnoid particles in sinus cavities and cranial plate on SPACE and DANTE-SPACE sequence images were evaluated, and the measurements were performed and statistically analyzed, including maximum cross-sectional area, longest diameter, SNR and CNR. Results A total of 43 arachnoid particles were detected with SPACE sequence, 29 in the sinus cavities and 14 in the cranial plate, while 45 arachnoid particles were found with DANTE-SPACE, 31 in the sinus cavities and 14 in the cranial plate. SPACE and DANTE-SPACE sequences showed no statistically significant difference in distribution of arachnoid particles (χ2=0.155, P=0.997). In the sinus cavity, SPACE and DANTE-SPACE sequences showed significant differences of the maximum cross-sectional area ([32.55±17.08]mm2, [29.15±16.24]mm2), the longest diameter ([7.13±2.00]mm, [6.42±1.81]mm), SNR (88.82±29.57, 83.30±32.11) and CNR (45.99±28.57, 65.33±30.96) of arachnoid particles (all P0.05). Conclusion DANTE-SPACE can effectively inhibit slow blood flow artifacts in the sinus, and accurately display arachnoid particles.

Decitabine combined with full鄄dose and long鄄term pre鄄excitation regimen for treatment of relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia: a clinical study of 32 cases / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy and adverse events of decitabine combined with full_dose and long_term pre_excitation regimen as a induction therapy for relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods A total of 32 patients with relapsed/refractory AML in Henan Provincial Cancer Hospital from May 2013 to February 2018 were enrolled. All the patients were treated with decitabine combined with full_dose and long_term pre_excitation regimen, including 15 patients who received decitabine combined with CAG regiemtn, and 17 patients who received decitabine combined with CHAG regimen: 25 mg decitabine, intravenous drip, from day 1 to day 3; cytarabine (10-15 mg/m2) administered subcutaneously every 12 h one time, from day 4 to day 17 or more; homoharringtonine (1 mg/m2) intravenous drip, administered intravenously from day 4 to day 10 or more; aclacinomycin (8-10 mg/m2), intravenous drip, administered intravenously from day 4 to day 11 or more; granulocyte colony_stimulating factor (G_CSF) (100-200 μg/m2), subcutaneous injection, and it began 1 day before chemotherapy, adjusted according to the blood cell count; the therapeutic effect and adverse reactions of the patients were observed. Results There were 29 patients (90.6% ) with complete remission (CR), 3 patients (9.4% ) with partial remission (PR), and the overall response (CR+PR) rate was 100.0% (32/32). In decitabine combined with CAG regimen group, 13 patients achieved CR; in decitabine combined with CHAG regimen group, 16 patients achieved CR, and there was no statistically significant difference in the efficacy between the two groups (P＝0.589). The main adverse reactions were agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenia, secondary infection and fever, and no serious adverse events occurred. Conclusion Decitabine combined with full_dose and long_term pre_excitation regimen has a favorable efficacy and safety, which provides a new therapy for relapsed/refractory AML.

Applications of Ru(II)-polypyridyl complexes in two-photon photodynamic therapy / 药学学报

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a more effective and promising treatment towards cancer therapy. PDT is a minimally invasive and spatially selective medical technique to destroy cancer cells without drug resistance, which has been increasingly applied in the clinical praxis alongside surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, traditional PDTs use a high energy one-photon laser beam, which is far from the efficient optical window of mammalian tissue (650−950 nm). Moreover, it has great limitations in the depth of penetration, and induces the undesired light toxicity. The development of photosensitizers has always been a bottleneck to the effective application of PDT in clinical practice. From the first generation of hematoporphyrin derivatives to the third-generation photosensitizers with tumor targeting ability, they meet the urgent clinical needs to some extent, but they still can not satisfy the requirements of two-photon PDT. Therefore, the development of photosensitizers, which are capable of two-photon activated PDT, has become a promising approach. Among the various two-photon absorption photosensitizers, ruthenium (Ⅱ) polypyridyl complexes have been recognized as excellent candidates due to their attractive photophysical properties. This review is prepared to summarize the recent achievements in the application of ruthenium (Ⅱ) polypyridyl complexes as photosensitizers for two-photon PDT, as well as to provide guidance for the design of two-photon activated photosensitizers in future research.

Excitation-Contraction Coupling Time is More Sensitive in Evaluating Cardiac Systolic Function / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#Pressure overload-induced myocardial hypertrophy is a key step leading to heart failure. Previous cellular and animal studies demonstrated that deteriorated excitation-contraction coupling occurs as early as the compensated stage of hypertrophy before the global decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). This study was to evaluate the cardiac electromechanical coupling time in evaluating cardiac systolic function in the early stage of heart failure.@*Methods@#Twenty-six patients with Stage B heart failure (SBHF) and 31 healthy controls (CONs) were enrolled in this study. M-mode echocardiography was performed to measure LVEF. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) combined with electrocardiography (ECG) was used to measure cardiac electromechanical coupling time.@*Results@#There was no significant difference in LVEF between SBHF patients and CONs (64.23 ± 8.91% vs. 64.52 ± 5.90%; P = 0.886). However, all four electromechanical coupling time courses (Qsb: onset of Q wave on ECG to beginning of S wave on TDI, Qst: onset of Q wave on ECG to top of S wave on TDI, Rsb: top of R wave on ECG to beginning of S wave on TDI, and Rst: top of R wave on ECG to top of S wave on TDI) of SBHF patients were significantly longer than those of CONs (Qsb: 119.19 ± 35.68 ms vs. 80.30 ± 14.81 ms, P < 0.001; Qst: 165.42 ± 60.93 ms vs. 129.04 ± 16.97 ms, P = 0.006; Rsb: 82.43 ± 33.66 ms vs. 48.30 ± 15.18 ms, P < 0.001; and Rst: 122.37 ± 36.66 ms vs. 93.25 ± 16.72 ms, P = 0.001), and the Qsb, Rsb, and Rst time showed a significantly higher sensitivity than LVEF (Rst: P =0.032; Rsb: P = 0.003; and Qsb: P = 0.004).@*Conclusions@#The cardiac electromechanical coupling time is more sensitive than LVEF in evaluating cardiac systolic function.

Sympathetic excitation and dendritic cell activation aggravates myocardial injury in LPS-induced rats / 基础医学与临床

Objective To investigate the effects of sympathetic excitation and dendritic cell activation on myocar-dial injury in LPS-induced rats. Methods The rats were randomly divided into four groups:control group, LPS group ( intraperitoneal injection of LPS 10 mg/kg) ,intervention group ( given beta receptor blocker Ate 5 mg/kg after LPS administration) and DC inhibitor VAG539 intervention group ( VAG539 30 mg/kg gavage twice a day for 2 days after LPS administration) respectively . The powerlab system was used to record the hemodynamic and sympathetic data. The concentration of norepinephrine ( NE) in plasma was measured by high performance liquid chromatography ( HPLC) , and the expression and positive cells of TNF-α and DCs in myocardium were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results Compared with the control group, the plasma NE level significantly increased ( P＜0.05) ;The expression of TNF-α and DCs in heart tissue significantly increased ( P＜0.05) ;the renal sym-pathetic nerve activity (SNA) significantly increased in the three groups after LPS administration for 24 hours. Compared with the LPS group, the plasma NE level significantly decreased ( P＜0.05 ) ; The expression of TNF-α and DCs in heart tissue significantly decreased ( P＜0.05) ;the renal SNA significantly decreased after Ate and VAG539 administration(P＜0.05).Conclusions Excessive activation of sympathetic nervous system and activation of DC aggravate myocardial injury in LPS-induced rats.

Research on M-sequence coded excitation method for magnetoacoustic imaging / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To solve the problem of the low signal to noise ratio (SNR)and limited imaging quality using single pulse exciting method in magnetoacoustic imaging, as well as the limited imaging speed using wave averaging processing method to magnetoacoustic signal. Methods M-sequence coded exciting method was proposed to enhance SNR imaging efficiency. The SNR improvement and sidelobe level were investigated using M-sequence code by simulation and experiments.Results The SNR of magnetoacoustic signal were 19.4,29.6,and 40.4 dB respectively under 7,31 and 127 bit M-sequence coded excitation. Three bits of M-sequence coded excitation magnetoacoustic signals had the integrated sidelobe level being 14.1,10.0 and 7.6 dB,and the peak sidelobe level being 26.3,24.3 and 21.3 dB.In case the SNR was increased by 40 dB,127 bit of M-sequence coded excitation shortened the sampling and procession time from 53.1 s to 0.520 s when compared with singl-pulse excitation combined with waveform average.Conclusion The coded excitation is significant for magnetoacoustic signal SNR and imaging quality improvement.

Technical Review and Perspectives of Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Brain Stimulation for Neurorehabilitation

Lack of a region-specific brain stimulation modality having both spatial specificity and depth penetration has limited clinicians to explore novel non-pharmacological treatment options in neurorehabilitation. Focused ultrasound (FUS) has shown excitatory and suppressive modulatory effects on neural tissues in both central and peripheral nervous systems by transcranially delivering low-intensity highly focused acoustic pressure waves to region-specific neural structures in a completely non-invasive fashion. This emerging technique, with exquisite spatial selectively and depth penetration, is considered as a new mode of brain stimulation that may significantly improve existing brain stimulation modalities. This review aims to provide the perspectives of FUS-mediated brain stimulation in neurorehabilitation, along with potential pitfalls and cautions that need to be taken into consideration. When combined with the intravascular introduction of microbubble-based ultrasound contrast agents, the technique adds therapeutic potentials in delivering drug/genes/cells across the blood-brain barrier, which may open new opportunities for neurorehabilitation. Efforts are being made to construct FUS devices appropriate for routine clinical use, to investigate its fundamental mechanisms, and to optimize the sonication parameters. Repeated administration of the technique for inducing neuroplasticity, including the assessment of long-term safety, is warranted to reveal its utility in neurorehabilitation.

Evaluation of left ventricular movement in patients with type B Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective To investigate the left ventricular (LV) torsion parameters of type B WolffParkinson-White syndrome (B-WPW) and to explore alternation of the left ventricular motion pattern in patients with B-WPW.Methods Thirty-eight patients with B-WPW were studied.And 40 volunteers were selected as control.Two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI) was used to acquire left ventricular torsion parameters,including peak value and time to peak value of LV twist,LV apex rotation,and LV base rotation.Apical-basal rotation delay (RDA-B) was calculated.Biplane Simpson method was used to measure LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV),end-systolic volume (LVESV) and ejection fraction (LVEF).All above parameters were measured in patients with B-WPW before (B-WPW-B group) and after (B-WPW-A group) radiofrequency catheter ablation and in control group.The QRS width of lead Ⅱ was recorded,and the relationships between all above parameters with the RDA-B or QRS width were analyzed.Results Compared with the contrd group,in patients with B-WPW,the peak value of LV apex rotation (RotA),LV base rotation (RotB) and LV twist (TwistLV) were lower(LV base was more obvious than LV apex)(P ＜0.05),the time to RotB (TTPB) was shorter (P =0.004),RDAB was longer(P =0.002),the left ventricular enlarged and the QRS prolonged (P =0.000).After radiofrequency catheter ablation,the left ventricular torsion parameters in patients with B-WPW recovered significantly(P ＜0.05),but still lower than those in the control group(P ＜0.05).Conclusions The left ventricular motion pattern of patients with B-WPW alters,including the changes of peak value and time to peak value in LV apex rotation,LV base rotation and LV twist,as well as LV myocardium dyssynchrony.The motion pattern of LV in patients with B-WPW is improved in acute stage after radiofrequency catheter ablation but not yet recover totally.