WITHDRAWN: The clinical application of an innovative tracheotomy fixation belt in critically ill patients.

Ahead of Print article withdrawn by publisher.

Wnt-5a prevents Aß-induced deficits in long-term potentiation and spatial memory in rats.

Although the neurotoxicity of amyloid ß (Aß) protein in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been reported widely, the exact molecular mechanism underlying the Aß-induced synaptic dysfunction and memory impairment remains largely unclear. Growing evidence indicates that wingless-type (Wnt) signaling plays an important role in neuronal development, synapse formation and synaptic plasticity. In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotective action of Wnt-5a against the synaptic damage and memory deficit induced by Aß25-35 by using in vivo electrophysiological recording and Morris water maze (MWM) test. We found that intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of Aß25-35 alone did not affect the baseline field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) and the paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) in the hippocampal CA1 region of rats, but significantly suppressed high frequency stimulation (HFS) induced long-term potentiation (LTP); pretreatment with Wnt-5a prevented the Aß25-35-induced suppression of hippocampal LTP in a dose-dependent manner; soluble Frizzled-related protein (sFRP), a specific Wnt antagonist, effectively attenuated the protective effects of Wnt-5a. In MWM test, Aß25-35 alone significantly disrupted spatial learning and memory ability of rats, while pretreatment with Wnt-5a effectively prevented the impairments induced by Aß25-35. These results in the present study demonstrated for the first time the neuroprotective effects of Wnt-5a against Aß-induced in vivo synaptic plasticity impairment and memory disorder, suggesting that Wnt signaling pathway is one of the important targets of Aß neurotoxicity and Wnt-5a might be used as one of the putative candidates for the therapeutic intervention of AD.

[Protective effect of garlic oil given at different time against acute liver injury induced by CCl4].

OBJECTIVE: To observe and compare the protective effect of garlic oil against carbon tetrachloride (CCL)-induced acute liver injury. METHODS: The experiments include 4 preventive groups and 2 therapeutic groups. In every preventive and therapeutic group, the mice were randomized into 6 groups with 15 each, including one negative control group, one solvent control group, one CCl4 model group and 3 garlic oil groups (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg body weight). Before given a single gavage of CCl4 (80 mg/kg), the mice were pretreated with garlic oil by gavage in preventive group 1 (30 days, once daily), preventive group 2 (5 days, once daily), preventive group 3 (ahead of 2 h, once), preventive group 4 (immediately, once) or the vehicle (corn oil, 10 ml/kg) in solvent control group. In therapeutic groups, the mice were gavaged garlic oil 2 h (once, in therapeutic 1) or for 5 days (once daily, in therapeutic 2) after administration CCl. After 24 h of the last administration, blood was collected and centrifuged at 2500 r/min at 4 degrees C for 10 min, and serum was removed to measure ALT and AST activities. The liver was dissected, weighed to calculate the liver coefficient (relative liver weight). At the same time, the liver samples were studied by histological examinations. RESULTS: Compared with negative group, the liver coefficient and the activities of ALT and AST in serum of model group were increased remarkably (P < 0.01). Compared with CCl model group, the liver coefficient and the activities of ALT and AST in serum were decreased significantly (P < 0.01) by garlic oil dose-dependently in each preventive group. Simultaneously, histological assessment showed that garlic oil effectively alleviated hepatocyte injuries induced by CCl4. Comparing the preventive effects of garlic oil in every group, it was better in preventive group 3 than others. However, all indexes and histological examinations in therapeutic group 1 did not show the difference with those of CCl4 model group. In therapeutic group 2, all indexes recovered after 5 d of CCl4 administration. CONCLUSIONS: Garlic oil can prevent acute liver injury induced by CCl4 and the effect is better in ahead of 2 h group than others.

[Expression of apoptosis-related proteins in gastric mucosa of children with Helicobacter pylori infection].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between apoptosis-related proteins in gastric mucosa, p53 and Bax, and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in children. METHODS: p53 and Bax expression in gastric mucosa were measured using immunohistochemical technique in 33 children with gastric mucosal lesions. Presence/absence of H. pylori infection was detected by the rapid urease and pathological tests. RESULTS: Fifteen children (88%) showed positive expression of p53 in 17 children who were confirmed with H. pylori infection, compared with 9 (56%) in 16 H. pylori negative children. Thirteen children (76%) showed positive expression of Bax in the 17 children with H. pylori infection, compared with 6 (38%) in the 16 H. pylori negative children. The expression levels of p53 and Bax in the H. pylori positive group were significantly higher than those in the H. pylori negative group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori infection is associated with the over-expression of p53 and Bax proteins in gastric mucosa in children.

[Epidemiologic study of conjunctivochalasis in populations equal or over 60 years old in Caoyangxincun community of Shanghai, China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and relative factors of conjunctivochalasis among people over 60 years old in Caoyangxincun community of Shanghai. METHODS: A cross-sectional study based on local residents in this community was carried out from September 2008 to October 2008. Cluster sampling was used in randomly selecting individuals aged > or = 60 years. Slit-lamp ophthalmoscope was used for eye examination and diagnosis. The survey was preceded by a pilot study where operational methods were refined and quality assurance evaluation was carried out. A database was set using SPSS 10.0 software, Chi-square test was used for data analysis. RESULTS: 2110 residents took part in this study, with the response rate 94.85%. 930 cases (1762 eyes) were confirmed as conjunctivochalasis, so the prevalence rate is 44.08%. The prevalence of conjunctivochalasis was increasing with age (chi(2) = 10.44, P < 0.01). 556 cases (943 eyes) were confirmed as degree I, 246 cases (647 eyes) as degree II, 120 cases (162 eyes) as degree III and the rest 8 cases (10 eyes) as degree IV. Several symptoms, such as blurred vision, asthenopia and eye pain were more frequent in patient group than in the normal ones (chi(2) value was 15.44, 20.54 and 19.74, respectively, P < 0.01). In the disease eyes, the conjunctiva usually piled up on the nasal and temporal side (944 eyes, 53.58%), the location of inferior lid margin was usually above corneal limbus (2589 eyes, 61.35%) and inferior lid margin entropion and introversion were always found (7.04% and 6.63%). Abnormal lacrimal river was found in 87.23% of the diseased eyes, more than the non-conjunctivochalasis eyes (chi(2) = 1615.81, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Conjunctivochalasis is a common eye disease in aged population, with obvious signs and symptoms of ocular surface and lacrimal river impairment. In the local residents, most patients were classified as minimal or moderate degree. The location of inferior lid margin and the tension of inferior lid may be related factor of conjunctivochalasis.