Clinical characteristics of 34 COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care unit in Hangzhou, China / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

OBJECTIVE@#This study summarizes and compares clinical and laboratory characteristics of 34 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for complications from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China from Jan. 22 to Mar. 5, 2020.@*METHODS@#A total of 34 patients were divided into two groups, including those who required noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) with additional extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in 11 patients. Clinical features of COVID-19 patients were described and the parameters of clinical characteristics between the two groups were compared.@*RESULTS@#The rates of the acute cardiac and kidney complications were higher in IMV cases than those in NIV cases. Most patients had lymphocytopenia on admission, with lymphocyte levels dropping progressively on the following days, and the more severe lymphopenia developed in the IMV group. In both groups, T lymphocyte counts were below typical lower limit norms compared to B lymphocytes. On admission, both groups had higher than expected amounts of plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), which over time declined more in NIV patients. The prothrombin time was increased and the levels of platelet, hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), D-dimer, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and IL-6 were higher in IMV cases compared with NIV cases during hospitalization.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Data showed that the rates of complications, dynamics of lymphocytopenia, and changes in levels of platelet, hemoglobin, BUN, D-dimer, LDH and IL-6, and prothrombin time in these ICU patients were significantly different between IMV and NIV cases.

Salidroside attenuates high glucose-induced rat renal glomerular endothelial cell injury via up-regulating HIF-1α expression / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM:To observe the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) , vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) in cultured rat renal glomerular endothelial cells (rRGECs) exposed to glucose at different concentrations in vitro, and to verify the hypothesis that salidroside attenuates high glucose (HG) -induced injury of rRGECs by boosting HIF-1αlevel.METHODS:rRGECs were divided into 4group:normal glucose (NG) group, HG groups, hypertonic group and salidroside+HG group.The viability of rRGECs was measured by MTT assay.The mRNA expression of VEGFA, VE-cadherin and HIF-1αwas detected by RT-qPCR.The protein expression of HIF-1αwas determined by Western blot.RESULTS:Compared with NG group, the mRNA and protein expression of HIF-1αwas increased when the rRGECs were treated with glucose at concentration of 20 mmol/L for 24h (P<0.01).Compared with NG group, the mRNA expression of HIF-1αwas decreased in HG groups for 120 h (P<0.05).Compared with NG group, the mRNA expression of VE-cadherin was significantly down-regulated in HG groups for24 h or 120 h (P<0.05).Compared with NG group, the mRNA expression of VEGFA was increased in HG groups at 24h (P<0.05) , while the mRNA expression of VEGFA was decreased at 120 h (P<0.05).Compared with NG group, no statistical difference in the mRNA expression levels of HIF-1α, VE-cadherin and VEGFA in DM group was observed.Compared with HG group, salidroside promoted the viability of rRGECs (P<0.01) , and up-regulated the mRNA expression of HIF-1αand VE-cadherin, and the protein expression of HIF-1α (P<0.05).CONCLUSION:High glucose regulates HIF-1αexpression in rRGECs in connection with cell viability, the concentration of glucose, the culture time and HIF/VEGF signaling.Salidroside promotes rRGEC growth against high glucose-induced cell apoptosis via up-regulating the expression of HIF-1α.

Impact of intravenous nutrition on plasma free amino acid spectrum and immune function for patients with sepsis / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the impact of intravenous nutrition on plasma free amino acid spectrum and immune function for patients with sepsis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty severe sepsis patients were divided into two groups: Group B (amino acids + glucose + fat emulsion) and Group A (glucose + fat emulsion), 20 healthy individuals were enrolled as control group. The concentration of free amino acid and immune globulin were determined after 3 days.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In Group A, the levels of valine, leucine, isoleucine, alanine, serine, glutamic acid, histidine, proline and glycine were decreased; while the levels of threonine, cysteine, the ratio of phenylalanine and tyrosine (Phe/Tyr) were higher than those in control group. Meanwhile, peripheral blood IgM, complement C3 and C4 were decreased. In group B, all amino acid levels were improved, but the level of alanine, serine, glutamic acid, histidine and proline still lower than those in control group. Similarly, the levels of IgM, complement C3 and C4 in group B were increased.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Intravenous nutrition can support the basal requirement of amino acid and improve the immune function of patients with sepsis.</p>

Effects of sedation on respiratory mechanic dynamics and oxygen metabolism in patients with mechanical ventlilation / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of sedation on respiratory mechanic dynamics, intrapulmonary shunt fraction,oxygen metabolism in patients with mechanical ventilation.Method Sixty patients with mechanical ventilation were divided randomly into control group and sedation group.Propofal was administered to patients,whose ramsay scores were kept atⅢorⅣlevels,in sedation group while the equal amount of normal saline was given in control group.Mixed venous blood and arterial blood samples were taken for blood gas analysis in both groups before and at 2 hours after administration.Heart rate,blood pressure,breathing rate and airway resistance all were recorded at the same time.Results There were no significant differences in oxygenation index,blood pressure,blood lactic acid,total lung static compliance and intrapulmonary shunt fraction between two groups before and after administration.Heart rate,respiratory rate,oxygen uptake and airway resistance of patients in sedation group were lower than those in control group,and partial pressure of oxygen in mixed venous blood of patients in sedation group were higher than those in control group.These differences were statistically significant.Conclusions Sedation can decrease oxygen uptake and airway resistance of patients with mechanical ventilation.However,no alteration in the oxygenation index,total lung static compliance and intrapulmonic shunt ratio can be observed.

Effects of raw rhubarb on plasma D-lactate and procalcitonin expressions in patients with sepsis / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of raw rhubarb (RR) on levels of plasma D-lactate and procalcitonin in patients with sepsis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty patients with sepsis enrolled were randomly divided into two groups, the RR group (n=18, treated with RR 9 g/d) and the control group (n=22, treated with conventional treatment). Plasma procalcitonin and D-lactate were determined before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Before treatment, there was no significant difference in the levels of plasma procalcitonin and D-lactate between the two groups (procalcitonin: 6.50 +/- 2.37 microg/L vs 6.98 +/- 2.89 microg/L; D-lactate: 0.18 +/- 0.05 mmol/L vs 0.19 +/- 0.06 mmol/L, P > 0.05). However, after treatment, two indexes in the RR group were significantly lower than those in the control group (procalcitonin: 4.11 +/- 1.40 microg/L vs 2.21 +/- 0.61 microg/L; D-lactate: 0.24 +/- 0.06 ng/L vs 0.09 +/- 0.03 ng/L, both P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>RR could ameliorate the intestinal permeability and reduce the shifting of intestinal bacteria, so as to ease the condition of disease in patients with sepsis.</p>

Effect of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat on apoptosis of bovine aortic smooth muscle cells / 浙江大学学报·医学版

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect and the mechanism of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat on apoptosis of bovine aortic smooth muscle cells. METHODS: Vascular smooth muscle cells were isolated from thoracic aorta of fetal calf and cultured, then incubated with different concentration of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. Apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. SOD and MDA were measured by spectrophotometer. RESULTS: We found that: (1) the number of apoptotic cells was reduced from (4.425+/-0.624)% to (2.875+/-0.640)% in Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat group, in a concentration dependent manner; (2) the value of SOD was increased from (1.683+/-0.149)X10(4) U/L to (2.297+/-0.230)X104 U/L and the value of MDA was reduced from(166.454+/-56.805)&mgr;mol/L to (73.068+/-27.203)&mgr;mol/L in Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat group, also in a concentration dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat can inhibit apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells in a concentration-dependent manner.