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Background:  MASM, a novel derivative of matrine, has inhibitory effects on activation of macrophages, dendritic cells, and hepatic stellate cells and binds to ribosomal protein S5 (RPS5). This study was designed to evaluate the effect of MASM on murine-established lethal sepsis and its mechanisms., Methods:  Mouse peritoneal macrophages and RAW264.7 cells that were infected with recombinant lentiviruses encoding shRPS5 were incubated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the absence or presence of MASM in vitro. Endotoxemia induced by LPS injection and sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture was followed by MASM treatment., Results:  MASM markedly attenuated LPS-induced release and messenger RNA expression of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 6, and NO/inducible NO synthase in murine peritoneal macrophages and RAW264.7 cells. Meanwhile, MASM inhibited LPS-induced activation of nuclear factor κB and MAPK pathways. Consistently, RPS5 suppressed LPS-induced inflammatory responses and at least in part mediated the antiinflammatory effect of MASM in vitro. Remarkably, delayed administration of MASM could significantly reduce mortality in mouse sepsis models, which was associated with the reduction in the inflammatory response, the attenuation in multiple organ injury, and the enhanced bacterial clearance., Conclusions:  MASM could be further explored for the treatments of sepsis, especially for administration later after the onset of sepsis., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Dendritic cell (DC) maturation process is a crucial step for the development of T cell immune responses and immune tolerance. In this study, we evaluated MASM, a novel derivative of the natural compound matrine that possesses a significant anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating property, for its efficacy to inhibit lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced maturation of murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. Here we show that MASM profoundly suppresses LPS-induced phenotypic and functional DC maturation. MASM inhibited LPS-induced expression of costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 in a concentration-dependent manner. MASM also attenuated LPS-induced IL-12p70, TNF-α, IL-6 and NO release of DCs. The MASM-treated DCs were highly efficient at antigen capture via mannose receptor-mediated endocytosis but showed weak stimulatory capacity for allogeneic T cell proliferation. Furthermore, MASM inhibited LPS-induced PI3K/Akt, MAPK and NF-κB pathways. These novel findings provide new insight into the immunopharmacological role of MASM in impacting on the DCs., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The effect of the modified wheat gluten (MWG) extender, prepared by alcalase-based hydrolysis and transglutaminase cross-linking, on meatballs was analyzed in this study. Here, we studied the effect of MWG addition on the boiling resistance capacity of pork meatballs (MB-MWG) at high temperature (100 °C) and increasing cooking time; meatballs with added soy protein isolates (MB-SPI) and raw wheat gluten (MB-WG) were used as references. The cooking loss, water-holding capacity (WHC), and textural properties of meatballs were investigated. The results revealed that MB-MWG showed lower cooking loss, which decreased by 49.16% compared to meatballs without added extenders when treated for 30 min. The WHC of MB-MWG significantly increased from 80.68% to 95.42%. The hardness, springiness, and chewiness (textural properties) of MB-MWG were also significantly increased by 97.05%, 6.68%, and 121.96%, respectively. The addition of MWG increased the cross-linking in meatballs during the cooking process, as indicated by the higher G'. SDS-PAGE indicated an obvious decrease in myosin heavy chain in MB-MWG cooked for 30 min at 100 °C, which was attributed to the interaction of myofibrillar proteins in pork meat with MWG. The nuclear magnetic resonance T2 relaxation time patterns indicated that MWG addition caused an increase in the bound water content, and decrease in the free water content, of meatballs. An analysis of the microstructures revealed that the MB-MWG formed the most regular and compact network. Therefore, MWG could be used as an ingredient to facilitate the processing of meat products., (© 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®)

Background: It is important to achieve the definitive pathogen identification in hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), but the traditional culture results always delay the target antibiotic therapy. We assessed the method called quantitative loop-mediated isothermal amplification (qLAMP) as a new implement for steering of the antibiotic decision-making in HAP., Methods: Totally, 76 respiratory tract aspiration samples were prospectively collected from 60 HAP patients. DNA was isolated from these samples. Specific DNA fragments for identifying 11 pneumonia-related bacteria were amplified by qLAMP assay. Culture results of these patients were compared with the qLAMP results. Clinical data and treatment strategies were analyzed to evaluate the effects of qLAMP results on clinical data. McNemar test and Fisher's exact test were used for statistical analysis., Results: The detection of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Streptococcus pneumonia, and Acinetobacter baumannii by qLAMP was consistent with sputum culture (P > 0.05). The qLAMP results of 4 samples for Haemophilus influenzae, Legionella pneumophila, or Mycoplasma pneumonia (MP) were inconsistent with culture results; however, clinical data revealed that the qLAMP results were all reliable except 1 MP positive sample due to the lack of specific species identified in the final diagnosis. The improvement of clinical condition was more significant (P < 0.001) in patients with pathogen target-driven therapy based on qLAMP results than those with empirical therapy., Conclusion: qLAMP is a more promising method for detection of pathogens in an early, rapid, sensitive, and specific manner than culture.

Taurine, which is found at high concentration in the heart, exerts several protective actions on myocardium. Physically, the high level of taurine in heart is maintained by a taurine transporter (TauT), the expression of which is suppressed under ischemic insult. Although taurine supplementation upregulates TauT expression, elevates the intracellular taurine content and ameliorates the ischemic injury of cardiomyocytes (CMs), little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of taurine governing TauT expression under ischemia. In this study, we describe the TonE (tonicity-responsive element)/TonEBP (TonE-binding protein) pathway involved in the taurine-regulated TauT expression in ischemic CMs. Taurine inhibited the ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation of TonEBP, promoted the translocation of TonEBP into the nucleus, enhanced TauT promoter activity and finally upregulated TauT expression in CMs. In addition, we observed that TonEBP had an anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidative role in CMs under ischemia. Moreover, the protective effects of taurine on myocardial ischemia were TonEBP dependent. Collectively, our findings suggest that TonEBP is a core molecule in the protective mechanism of taurine in CMs under ischemic insult.

The aim of the present study was to quantitatively analyze the expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-A and PDGF-B in the vascular walls of patients with lower extremity arterial occlusive disease (LEAOD). The expression levels of PDGF-A and PDGF-B in the lower extremity arteries of 19 LEAOD patients (case group) and three healthy subjects (control group) was determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Intergroup comparisons revealed that the relative mRNA expression levels were higher in the case group, as compared with the control group, for PDGF-A (34.38±5.80 vs. 21.94±1.05; P<0.05) and PDGF-B (33.95±5.92 vs. 24.15±3.12; P<0.05). In addition, the expression of PDGF-A revealed a positive linear correlation with the expression of PDGF-B (P<0.05). Therefore, the expression levels of PDGF-A and PDGF-B were found to be higher in the vascular walls of LEAOD patients, while the expression of PDGF-A was found to correlate with the expression of PDGF-B. A significant increase in the expression levlels of PDGF-A and PDGF-B were observed in the vascular walls of patients with LEAOD, and the expression of PDGF-A was associated with the expression of PDGF-B.

Cleavage of the thioether bond of S-D-ribosyl-L-homocysteine (SRH) by the enzyme S-ribosylhomocysteinase (LuxS) serves as the final biosynthetic step in the generation of the quorum sensing autoinducer AI-2 by bacteria. Herein, a revised chemical synthesis of SRH is presented at convenient scale and purity for in vitro studies of LuxS. Potassium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (KHMDS) is identified as a judicious base for the formation of the thioether of the target compound from readily-accessible precursors: a thiol nucleophile derived from l-homocystine and a sulfonate-activated d-ribosyl electrophile. The exclusive use of acid-labile protecting groups allows for facile deprotection to the final product, producing the TFA salt of SRH in five synthetic steps and 26% overall yield. The chemically-synthesized material is isolated at high purity and demonstrated to serve as the LuxS substrate by an in vitro assay., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Taurine exerts a protective effect on cardiomyocytes. The aim of this study was to determine whether the protective effect of taurine is associated with the upregulation of taurine transporter (TAUT) expression in acute myocardial ischemia (AMI). To this end, we investigated TAUT expression in cultured cardiomyocytes exposed to hypoxia as well as in rats with AMI treated with or not with taurine. The morphology of cardiac tissues, the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and cardiac function were examined. In addition, the taurine content and the expression of TAUT were measured. Our data demonstrated that taurine reversed the apoptosis induced by hypoxia and AMI, thereby, effectively protecting the myocardium. Taurine content and TAUT expression levels were significantly decreased when cardiomyocytes and cardiac tissues were subjected to hypoxic or ischemic stress, while the expression of cysteine sulfinate decarboxylase was unchanged. Moreover, treatment with taurine (100 mg/kg/day) significantly upregulated TAUT expression and elevated the taurine content in ischemic myocardial tissues. In vitro, the low-dose (40 mM) but not the high-dose (120 mM) administration of taurine significantly induced TAUT expression and elevated the intracellular taurine content in hypoxic cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that taurine exerts a protective effect on the ischemic myocardium. Low-dose but not high-dose taurine treatment upregulated TAUT expression and increased the intracellular taurine content in cardiomyocytes subjected to hypoxia as well as in AMI tissues.

The current study aims to develop a stable pH-sensitive drug delivery system. First, cleavable polyethylene glycol-α-tocopherol hemisuccinate (PEG-THS) was synthesized. Conventional pH-sensitive vesicles composed of the Tris salt of α-tocopherol hemisuccinate (THST) were then prepared using the detergent removal technique. The vesicles had a mean particle size of (163.8 ± 5.5) nm and a zeta potential of -74.5 ± 6.4 mV. The THST vesicles were then modified using PEG-THS or uncleavable PEG-cholesterol (PEG-CHOL) (THST/PEG-lipids, 100:6 molar ratio). The mean vesicle particle size and absolute zeta potential decreased with increasing PEG-THS proportion. When the pH was decreased, the vesicle particle size and calcein release rate increased. The THST vesicles were initially Ca(2+)-unstable but exhibited significantly improved stability after modification with PEG-THS, especially at PEG-lipid ratios above 6%. Incubation in an acid serum increased the calcein release rate of conventional THST vesicles to 45 ± 1.98% at 10 min. However, the release rate of the PEG-CHOL vesicles remained low. The calcein release rate of PEG-THS vesicles was between those of conventional and PEG-CHOL-V. Therefore, PEG-THS can protect vesicles in serum and reconstitute their pH sensitivity in acidic conditions. Cleavable PEG-THS can be used in stable pH-sensitive preparations without loss of pH sensitivity. Free calcein and conventional vesicles eliminated from the plasma soon after injection, as well as the half-life (t(1/2)) and area under the curve of PEG-THS-V encapsulating calcein, were dramatically increased. This phenomenon indicates that the use of PEG-lipid derivatives has gained a favorably long circulation effect in mice.

VEGF-A activity is tightly regulated by ligand and receptor availability. Here we investigate the physiological function of heterodimers between VEGF receptor-1 (VEGFR-1; Flt-1) and VEGFR-2 (KDR; Flk-1) (VEGFR(1-2)) in endothelial cells with a synthetic ligand that binds specifically to VEGFR(1-2). The dimeric ligand comprises one VEGFR-2-specific monomer (VEGF-E) and a VEGFR-1-specific monomer (PlGF-1). Here we show that VEGFR(1-2) activation mediates VEGFR phosphorylation, endothelial cell migration, sustained in vitro tube formation and vasorelaxation via the nitric oxide pathway. VEGFR(1-2) activation does not mediate proliferation or elicit endothelial tissue factor production, confirming that these functions are controlled by VEGFR-2 homodimers. We further demonstrate that activation of VEGFR(1-2) inhibits VEGF-A-induced prostacyclin release, phosphorylation of ERK1/2 MAP kinase and mobilization of intracellular calcium from primary endothelial cells. These findings indicate that VEGFR-1 subunits modulate VEGF activity predominantly by forming heterodimer receptors with VEGFR-2 subunits and such heterodimers regulate endothelial cell homeostasis.

A dynamic monitoring on the rainfall-runoff process and the surface runoff and sediment yield in a sloping farmland was conducted at a natural rainfall runoff plot in the watershed of Jianshan River, the first tributary of Fuxian Lake, Chengjiang, aimed to study the regulation effects of reverse-slope level terrace on the runoff and sediment yield in red soil sloping farmlands of Yunnan. The regulation rates of runoff and sediment yield by the reverse-slope level terrace were 49.5%-87.7% and 56.7%-96.1%, averagely 65.3% and 80.7%, respectively, showing that the regulation effects of reverse-slope level terrace on the runoff and sediment yield, especially the latter in sloping farmland were prominent. The variation coefficients of the test parameters for undisturbed sloping farmland and reverse-slope level terrace were in the order of sediment yield > runoff > rainfall. Comparing with undisturbed sloping farmland, reverse-slope level terrace had smaller surface runoff and smaller relative deviation degree of sediment yield, demonstrating its remarkable effect in controlling runoff and sediment yield in sloping farmland.

Objective: We aimed to perform a meta-analysis of clinical trials on the efficacy of autologous bone marrow-derived cells (BMCs) transfer for patients with chronic ischemic heart disease., Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane database through September 2009. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials of autologous BMCs infusion in patients with chronic ischemic heart disease. We gathered information about left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) and death, and did a random-effect meta-analysis to obtain summary effect estimates for outcomes. The pooled analyses were performed and forest plots were generated with RevMan 5.0 software. Heterogeneity was assessed by meta-regression with STATA 10.0 software. Additionally, subgroup analysis was performed to compare the effect of intracoronary BMCs transfer with intramyocardial cell injection on LVEF., Results: Eleven trials with 490 participants were identified. There were 268 patients in BMCs group, and 222 in control group. In control group, the patients received saline injection or autologous plasma injection or no injection. BMCs transfer was performed via intracoronary transfer or intramyocardial injection. Compared with controls, BMCs transfer significantly improved LVEF by 4.63% (95%CI 2.42 to 6.84; P < 0.01). BMCs transfer was also associated with significant reductions in LVEDV (standardized mean difference -0.55, 95%CI -0.94 to -0.17, P = 0.005) and LVESV (standardized mean difference -0.45, 95%CI -0.73 to -0.17, P = 0.002). In addition, BMCs treatment was associated with a significant effect on death (OR 0.42, 95%CI 0.18 to 1.01, P = 0.05). Subgroup analysis indicated that intramyocardial cell injection was preferred due to its more significant improvement of LVEF than intracoronary cell therapy. Meta-regression suggested the existence of a negative association between baseline LVEF and LVEF change., Conclusion: BMCs infusion is associated with a significant improvement in LVEF, and an attenuation of left ventricular remodeling.

It is generally believed that liposomes modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) have no or lower immunogenicity. However, based on many recent literatures, when the PEGylated liposomes were repeatedly applied to the same animal, the immune responses occurred. The first injection of PEGylated liposomes resulted in a reduction in the circulation time and an increase in hepatic and splenic accumulation of the second dose of PEGylated liposomes in a time-interval, which was called "accelerated blood clearance (ABC)" phenomenon. Such immunogenicity of PEGylated liposomes presents a barrier in the research of liposomal formulations and their use in the clinics. This review focused on the definition, the method of verification, the development of the reason for ABC phenomenon, influencing factors of ABC phenomenon, and discussed if other PEGylated nanocarriers also induce ABC phenomenon.

The "accelerated blood clearance" (ABC) phenomenon describes a syndrome whereby the circulation time of a second dose of injected liposomes is substantially reduced, while the hepatic and splenic accumulations increase. To avoid this unexpected immune response, we have modified liposomes with cleavable PEG-lipid derivatives (PEG-CHEMS and PEG-CHMC). The ABC phenomenon was induced by repeated injection of conventional PEG-DSPE-liposomes in rat body and was accompanied by a greatly increased uptake in the liver. In contrast, only a slight ABC phenomenon was induced by repeated injection of PEG-CHMC-liposomes and was accompanied by increased uptake in the liver. Repeated injection of PEG-CHEMS-liposomes did not induce either an ABC phenomenon or an increase in liver accumulation. Repeated injection of the cleavable PEG-lipid modified vesicles (tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane salt of cholesteryl hemisuccinate(CHST)) showed similar results to those found with the cleavable PEG-lipid modified liposomes. These cleavable PEG-lipid derivatives could lessen or eliminate the ABC phenomenon produced by repeated injection of PEGylated liposomes or vesicles. Consequently, these two cleavable PEG-lipid derivatives may not only prolong the circulation time of nanoparticles, but may also represent a solution to the ABC phenomenon., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The effects of intensive glucose control over conventional glucose control on cardiovascular outcomes of patients with type 2 diabetes remain uncertain., Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane database to identify randomized controlled trials that compared the effects of intensive glucose control and conventional glucose control, on cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes., Results: Seven trials involving 34,144 participants with type 2 diabetes were included. Intensive glucose control significantly reduced major cardiovascular events by 10% (relative risk (RR) 0.90, 95% CI 0.85-0.96; P = 0.0006), and non-fatal myocardial infarction by 16% (0.84, 95% CI 0.76-0.93; P = 0.0006) at the expense of increased incidence of severe hypoglycemia (2.30, 95% CI 1.74-3.03; P < 0.00001), while all-cause mortality, cardiovascular death, non-fatal stroke, and heart failure were similar between the two groups. Subgroup analyses showed that patients with longer follow-up duration, shorter diabetic duration, less glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) reduction, higher HbA1c concentration at follow-up, and lower base-line HbA1c benefited more from intensive glucose control., Conclusion: An intensive glucose control strategy can effectively reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events but at the expense of a significantly increased risk of severe hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Endovascular therapy is a treatment option for localized occlusion of the subclavian artery. In this report the long-term experience with 59 patients is presented., Methods: Between June 1998 and September 2008, we used endovascular therapy to treat 61 subclavian arterial obstructive lesions in 59 patients (46 males and 13 females, 34 - 82 years of age with a mean age (61.9 + or - 11.0) years). Twenty patients (34%) had clinical symptoms due to vertebrobasilar insufficiency, 26 (44%) had disabling arm ischemia, and 13 (22%) had both symptoms. We performed all procedures under local anesthesia. The approaches were from the femoral artery (n = 47), brachial artery (n = 1, involving bilateral subclavian disease) or both (n = 11). Sixty stents were implanted. All patients were followed-up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-procedure, and annually thereafter., Results: We achieved technical success in 58 (95.1%) arteries, all of which were stented. There were three technical failures; two were due to the inability to cross over an occlusion, necessitating the switch to an axillo-axillary bypass, and the third was due to shock after digital subtraction angiography and prior to stenting. Arterial stenosis pre- and post-stenting was (83.6 + or - 10.8)% and (2.5 + or - 12.5)% (P < 0.01). Clinical success was achieved in 55 of the 59 patients (93.4%). Of the four clinical failures, three were technical and the remaining patient had a stent thrombosis. Systolic blood pressure difference between the two brachial arteries was (44.7 + or - 18.5) vs. (2.2 + or - 3.9) mmHg (P < 0.01). Primary patency was 98% at 12 months, 93% at 24 months, and 82% at 5 years. Five patients were lost to follow-up by 12 months post-stenting. Significant recurrent obstruction developed in five patients with resumption of clinical symptoms. The overall survival rate was 98.2% at 12 months, 89.5% at 24 months, and 84.5% at 5 years., Conclusions: Endovascular therapy for proximal subclavian arterial obstructive lesions is effective and successful. This minimally invasive treatment may be the first choice of treatment for proximal subclavical arterial obstructive lesions.

Total saponins of panax ginseng (TSPG) are the major active components in panax ginseng. Dendritic cells (DCs) play an active role in the immunological processes related to atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect and possible mechanisms of TSPG on the maturation and immune function of DCs. Compared with those untreated, the DCs pre-treated with TSPG and then induced by oxidized-LDL exhibited a significantly lower expression of the maturation-associated markers of CD40, CD86, HLA-DR, and CD1a, together with an increased endocytosic function as well as decreased secretions of cytokine. However, silencing the expression of PPARgamma in DCs, the inhibitory effect of TSPG on the maturation DCs was significantly reduced. In conclusion, TSPG could inhibit the maturation of DCs induced by oxidized-LDL which suggests beneficial effects on atherosclerosis and this effect was partly dependent on the PPARgamma pathway at least., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Conflicting results existed now on the clinical utility of intracoronary bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) transfer for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This study sought to analyze the efficacy and safety of autologous BMSC transfer in patients with AMI by performing a meta-analysis based on published randomised controlled trials., Methods: A systematic literature search of PubMed, MEDLINE, BIOSIS, EMBASE, and Cochrane EBM databases during the period of 1990-2007 was made, objective being the randomised controlled trials in patients with AMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and received intracoronary BMSC transfer, and were followed up for at least 3 months., Results: A total of 6 trials with 525 patients were available for analysis. The pooled statistics showed the mean increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from baseline was 7.05% in BMSC group (p=0.01), whereas only 2.46% in control group (p=0.02), and the effect on the absolute change in LVEF was an increase of 4.77% compared with the control (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.42% to 8.12%; p=0.005). The similar effect on left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic dimensions was demonstrated in inter-group comparison (standardized mean difference [SMD]=-0.15, 95%CI -0.50 to 0.20; p=0.41). The incidence of major adverse cardiac events was also similar in two groups but in favor of BMSC group (relative risk [RR]=0.85, 95%CI, 0.61 to 1.19; p=0.34)., Conclusions: Post PCI BMSC transplantation in patients with AMI significantly increases LVEF but has no effects on LV remodeling, and there is not an incremental effect on the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events in the observed period.

Human neuronal growth inhibitory factor (hGIF) is able to inhibit the outgrowth of neurons. As compared with the amino acid sequences of metallothionein 1/2, hGIF contains two insertions: a Thr at position 5 and an acidic hexapeptide EAAEAE(55-60) close to the C-terminus. Moreover, all mammalian growth inhibitory factor sequences contain a conserved CPCP(6-9) motif. Previous studies have demonstrated that the TCPCP(5-9) motif is pivotal to its bioactivity, but no specific role has been assigned to the unique EAAEAE(55-60) insert. To investigate the potential structural and biological significance of the EAAEAE(55-60) insert, several mutants were constructed and investigated in detail. Notably, deletion of the acidic insert (the Delta55-60 mutant) reduced the inhibitory activity, whereas the bioactivities of other mutants did not change much. Then, spectroscopic characterization and molecular dynamics simulation were performed to investigate the potential causes of the reduced bioactivity of the Delta55-60 mutant. It was found that the domain-domain interaction mechanism of hGIF was different from that of metallothionein 2. It was also shown that the acidic insert could regulate the interdomain interactions in hGIF, leading to the structural change in the beta-domain, which resulted in the alteration of the solvent accessibility and metal release ability, thus playing an important role in the biological activity of hGIF. Our studies provided useful information on the domain-domain interaction at the molecular level for the first time, and shed new light on the mechanism of the bioactivity of hGIF.

Objective: To analyze the surgical treatment and prognosis of non-traumatic acute lower limb ischemia, and compare the morbidity and prognosis of acute arterial embolism and acute arterial thrombosis., Methods: The clinical data of 154 acute lower limb ischemia patients surgically treated from July 1999 to December 2007 were retrospectively analyzed. Fogarty catheter embolectomy was used in all patients; in which, 128 cases underwent Fogarty catheter embolectomy only, 8 cases Fogarty catheter embolectomy combined with endarterectomy, 13 cases Fogarty catheter embolectomy combined with vascular reconstruction with prosthetic graft or great saphenous vein, 5 cases Fogarty catheter embolectomy combined with amputation. The patients were divided into two groups according to pathogenesis: acute arterial embolism group (99 cases) and acute arterial thrombosis group (55 cases). The morbidity, amputation, perioperative mortality rates and high risk factors of amputation in the two groups were compared., Results: Female experienced acute arterial embolism more often than man (60.6% vs 39.4%, P < 0.05), and more acute arterial thrombosis occurred in man (72.7% vs 27.3%, P < 0.05). The amputation rate of all cases was 9.7%, and perioperative mortality rate was 11.7%. The amputation rate in acute arterial embolism group was lower than acute arterial thrombosis group (5.1% vs 18.2%, P < 0.05). The perioperative mortality rates in the two groups were equal (11.1% vs 12.7%, P > 0.05). The statistically high risk factor of amputation for two groups was ischemic time, and smoking and diabetes were high risk factors for acute arterial thrombosis., Conclusions: Men experiences acute arterial thrombosis more often, and women experiences acute arterial embolism more often. The amputation rate of acute arterial embolism is lower than acute arterial thrombosis, and acute arterial thrombosis has more high risk factors of amputation.

Objective: To estimate the safety of intracoronary autologous bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) transfer in patients with acute myocardial infarction., Methods: A systematic literature search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane EBM, BIOSIS, EMBASE and Chinese Journal Full-text Database between January 1990 and May 2007, was performed. Inclusion criteria required that patients received intracoronary BMSC transfer after coronary reperfusion therapy for primary acute myocardial infarction; study design involved patient randomization and matching placebo group as well as detailed safety data with more than 3 months follow-up results., Results: A total of 5 trials with 620 patients were available for analysis. The pooled statistics showed similar results between BMSC and placebo groups in terms of occurrence of the individual clinical adverse events and the combined endpoint death, recurrence of myocardial infarction, or revascularization procedures. The combined endpoint death, recurrence of myocardial infarction, revascularization procedures, or rehospitalization for heart failure was significantly reduced in the BMSC group compared with the control group at more than one year follow-up (OR = 0.45, 95%CI 0.28 - 0.74, P = 0.002). Likewise, the occurrence of revascularization and the combined endpoint death, recurrence of myocardial infarction, or revascularization procedures were significantly reduced when BMSC transplantation was performed between 4 and 7 days after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (OR = 0.60, 95%CI 0.37 - 0.97, P = 0.04; OR = 0.58, 95%CI 0.37 - 0.91, P = 0.02, respectively). In contrast, there was a significant increase in the combined endpoint revascularization and recurrence of myocardial infarction when BMSC transplantation was performed within 24 hours after PCI (OR = 2.56, 95%CI 1.03 - 6.34, P = 0.04)., Conclusions: Post PCI intracoronary autologous BMSC transplantation in patients with acute myocardial infarction is safe, especially in patients received BMSC transplantation between 4 and 7 days after primary PCI than patients received BMSC transplantation within 24 hours post PCI.

Background: Invasive intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is current diagnostic standard for myocardial bridging (MB). Non-invasive multislice computerized tomography coronary angiography (MSCT) technique has provided a good anatomical view of the tunnel artery now., Methods: A total of 51 consecutive patients with atypical or typical angina scheduled for IVUS were enrolled in this study and MSCT was performed 7 days before IVUS. Coronary imaging was quantified using IVUS and MSCT. Four main vessels (left main artery (LMA), left anterior descending (LAD), left circumflex (LCX), right coronary artery (RCA)) were examined., Results: Forty-one out of 51 (80%) patients received metaprolol (25 mg) before the MSCT scan and 25 of them were current beta-blocker users. The mean heart rate was (64 +/- 3) beats per minute. A total of 51 patients underwent IVUS examination (30 with MB and 21 without MB) were chosen for this study. Twenty-eight out of 30 MB cases were correctly diagnosed by MSCT and 2 patients with MB were not detected. Comparison with IVUS, the sensitivity of detection by MSCT was 93%, specificity was 100%. The lumen diameter of the tunnel artery derived from MSCT and IVUS significantly decreased from (2.9 +/- 0.3) mm to (2.4 +/- 0.4) mm (P < 0.001) and from (3.3 +/- 0.3) mm to (2.6 +/- 0.5) mm (P < 0.001), respectively. Minimal and maximal diameters of MB derived from MSCT were significantly smaller than those from IVUS ((2.4 +/- 0.4) mm vs (2.6 +/- 0.5) mm, P < 0.05 and (2.9 +/- 0.3) mm vs (3.3 +/- 0.3) mm, P < 0.05), respectively., Conclusions: MSCT offers a reliable non-invasive method for MB in LAD and atherosclerosis diagnosis with diagnostic accuracy comparable with invasive IVUS.

Background: The aim of this study was to observe the association between fibrinogen C148T, G854A polymorphisms and plasma fibrinogen levels in a large cohort of Chinese patients with coronary heart disease (CHD)., Methods: Fibrinogen gene beta148/beta854 polymorphisms were screened and plasma fibrinogen levels and lipids were measured in patients with angiographically confirmed CHD (n = 836) and in controls without CHD (n = 418)., Results: Age, sex, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, blood lipids and fibrinogen levels were related to CHD (all p < 0. 05) while the frequencies of fibrinogen beta148 and beta854 alleles, gene and genotypes between the two groups were similar (all p > 0.05)., Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the plasma fibrinogen level, but not fibrinogen beta148 and beta854 genotypes, was associated with CHD in the Chinese population., (Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objective: Dendritic cells an hyperinsulinemia are both implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study is to explore the effect of high concentration of insulin on the maturation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) and related signal transduction pathways., Methods: Human monocytes were purified (over 98%) using Anti-CD14 micro-beads and cultured for 5 days with DC Cellgro medium containing rhGM-CSF (100 microg/L) and rhIL-4 (20 microg/L). Immature DC were then incubated with insulin of various concentrations (0, 1, 10, 100 nmol/L) for 24 hours in the presence or absence of LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor) or PD98059 (MAPK inhibitor). Immunophenotypic expression of CD86 and CD83 were detected using flow cytometry. Endocytosis function of the MoDCs was evaluated using FITC-Dextran and MoDCs secretion IL-12, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha were measured by ELISA., Results: Insulin induced significantly higher CD83 and CD86 expressions on MoDCs in a dose-dependent manner. The endocytosis function of MoDCs were significantly inhibited and cytokine secretions of IL-12, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha significantly increased by 10 nmol/L and 100 nmol/L insulin. These effects could be blocked by the LY294002 and PD98059., Conclusion: Hyperinsulinemia contributed to atherosclerosis via stimulating immune maturation of MoDCs via both PI3K and MAPK pathways.

The purpose of this study was to determine the quantitative relationships between the positions of the sigmoid sinus (SS) and jugular bulb (JB) and the influence of mastoid pneumatization upon these structures. The investigations were carried out on 116 healthy adult ears based on the axial images of computed tomography (CT). The reference system locating the displacements of the SS and JB was established and the shape and position of the SS and JB were measured. The volume of pneumatization was quantitatively measured based on the serial digital images of CT. The method of partial correlation analysis was used to find the real relationship of two variables from the complicated dependence relationships. There was a tendency for the SS in the males to be situated more laterally and more backwardly, and the JB in the males was situated more laterally with thicker lateral bone wall when compared to the females. When compared to the left side, the SS on the right side tended to protrude more deeply and was situated more laterally and with less thickness of the lateral bone wall. In male, the right SS was situated more anteriorly than the left SS. In female, the right JB was situated more posteriorly than the left JB. There was a tendency for the SS to be situated more medially, to have a thicker lateral bone wall, and to protrude more superficially in the well-pneumatized bones. When the pneumatization was well, the JB tended to be situated more backwards and have a thicker lateral bone wall. However, there was no significant difference of pneumatization between the high JB group and the low JB group. The SS position and JB position changed synchronously in forward-backward or medial-lateral directions. The results suggest that the factors that influence the shape and position of the SS and JB are multiple. The results suggest that the morphological and positional relationships between the SS and the JB are complicated but could be grasped. The development of the cranial base, the temporal bone pneumatization and non-synchronous dural venous development between the right and left sides are considered to contribute to the morphological and positional changes of the SS and JB.

Objective: To estimate the feasibility of 16-multidetector spiral computed tomography (16-MDCT) on detecting coronary plaques in comparison with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)., Methods: Sixty-eight patients suspected of coronary heart diseases were examined by 16-MDCT, quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and IVUS. Coronary stenosis was defined as lumen diameter reduction (DS) >or= 50%. Hounsfield units (HU) were used to determine different types of plaques: soft plaque (or= 120 HU)., Results: Compared to QCA, the sensitivity and the specificity for patients with DS >or= 50% were 91.8% (112/122) and 97.8% (556/568) respectively, the positive and negative predictive value were 90.3% (112/124) and 98.2% (556/566) respectively. In 96 plaques evaluated both by 16-MDCT and IVUS, 20 and 21 soft plaques, 37 and 36 fibrous plaques, 39 and 38 calcified plaques were identified by 16-MDCT and IVUS respectively. HU value of soft (11 +/- 36), fibrous (83 +/- 20), and calcified (292 +/- 80) plaques were significantly different (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Noninvasive 16-MDCT could correctly estimate coronary stenosis and coronary plaques compositions.

Objective: To evaluate the myocardial viability with (201)Tl/(18)F-FDG DISA-SPECT technique in patients with acute myocardial infarction underwent emergent intracoronary autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNC) transplantation., Methods: Patients with first acute myocardial infarction underwent emergent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either intracoronary transplantation of autologous BM-MNC (n = 20) or to sodium chloride concluding heparin (control, n = 20) via a micro infusion catheter group immediately after PCI. Change in global left ventricular function (LVEF measured by echocardiography) and the myocardial viability detected by (201)Tl/(18)F-FDG DISA-SPECT from baseline and 6-months post transplantation were analyzed., Results: Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was improved in both groups and the absolute increase (DeltaLVEF) in BM-MNC group was significantly higher than that in control group (7.6% +/- 2.8% vs. 3.0% +/- 2.8%, P < 0.001). In addition, the absolute decrease of myocardial infusion defect detected by (201)Tl SPECT was more significant in BM-MNC group than that in control group (6.7% +/- 3.0% vs. 2.6% +/- 2.6%, P < 0.001) and the number of mismatched segments (indicating viable myocardium) detected by (18)F-FDG SPECT in border zone was also significantly higher in BM-MNC group than that in control group., Conclusion: Improved myocardial viability and reduced myocardial infusion defect post emergent intracoronary transplantation of autologous BM-MNC in patients with acute myocardial infarction could be detected by (201)Tl/(18)F-FDG DISA-SPECT technique.

Hypothesis: To delineate quantitatively the spatial relationships of the utricle, saccule, and stapedial footplate, to locate the hole on the footplate, and to analyze the insertion depth into the vestibule and the direction of the piston during stapedotomy., Background: The quantitative three-dimensional (3D) configuration of the utricle, saccule, and stapedial footplate is undetermined, and the stapedotomy procedures should be improved., Methods: Four temporal bones were extracted from the fresh cadavers and were undecalcified polymer-embedded. The specimens were sectioned into serial 50-mum-thickness slices. After image processing and 3D reconstruction, a cartesian coordinate system was established to display the spatial relationships of the utricle, saccule, and stapedial footplate in the 3D Studio Max scene. The configuration of the utricle, the saccule, and the "vestibular cleft" was delineated quantitatively with the contour map method. With this contour map, any distance between one point at the surface of the footplate and another point at the surface of the utricle or saccule and its orientation can be measured., Results: There was a V-shaped cleft between the utricle and the saccule named vestibular cleft. The angle of the cleft was 50.30 degrees +/- 19.90 degrees . The apex of the cleft always directed anterosuperiorly, whereas beneath the posteroinferior part of the footplate was an open and deep "seabed." The vertical distances between points on the tympanic surface of the footplate and points on the surface of the utricle or saccule were measured. The vertical distance from the center point of footplate to the vestibular end organs was 2.20 +/- 0.548 mm, the maximum distance being 3.0 mm, whereas the minimum distance was 1.6 mm., Conclusion: The posteroinferior area near the central point of the footplate is the optimal position for the fenestra through which the piston can be inserted relatively safely into a depth of 0.8 to 1.0 mm in the vestibule. If the deep end of the piston is inclined inferiorly and posteriorly by 8 to 10 degrees, respectively, the piston will be farther from the vestibular end organs. These manipulations may enhance surgical safety and efficiency in stapedotomy.

The automatic recognition of pulse images is the key in the research of computerized pulse diagnosis. In order to automatically differentiate the pulse patterns by using small samples, a fuzzy neural network to classify pulse images based on the knowledge of experts in traditional Chinese pulse diagnosis was designed. The designed classifier can make hard decision and soft decision for identifying 18 patterns of pulse images at the accuracy of 91%, which is better than the results that achieved by back-propagation neural network.

Objective: To determine the optimal drill area on the footplate with the 3D measurements of the stapes and the vestibular end organs., Methods: Four temporal bones were extracted from the fresh cadavers and undecalcified polymer-embedded. After serially sectioning, image processing and the 3D precisely reconstruction, a local Cartesian coordinates was established in which the tympanic surface of the footplate was supposed to be XY plane and the Z coordinate axis passed through the central point of the footplate and was vertical to the XY plane. The configurations of the utricle and saccule were delineated quantitatively, and then any distance between one point on the surface of the footplate and another point on the surface of the utricle or saccule and its orientation can be measured., Results: There was a "V" shaped cleft between the utricle and the saccule. The angle of the" V" shaped cleft was 50.31 +/- 19.90 (17.00 - 68.00) degrees. The apex of the cleft directed anterosuperiorly and approached the footplate center, while beneath the posteroinferior part of the footplate was an open and deep area. The vertical distance from the center point of the footplate to the vestibular end organs was (2.20 +/- 0.548) mm, the maximum of 3.0 mm and the minimum of 1.6 mm., Conclusions: The posterior and inferior quadrant of the footplate may be the optimal drill area for the fenestra.

GIF, a member of the metallothionein (MT) family (assigned as MT3), is a neuron growth inhibitory factor that inhibits neuron outgrowth in Alzheimer's disease. The conserved Thr5 is one of the main differences between GIF and other members in the MT family. However, natural sheep GIF has an unusual Ala5, casting doubt on the role of common Thr5. We constructed a series of human GIF mutants at site 5, and characterized their biochemical properties by UV spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, EDTA reaction, 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) reaction, and pH titration. Their inhibitory activity toward neuron survival and neurite extension was also examined. Interestingly, the T5A mutant exhibited distinct metal thiolate activity in the EDTA and DTNB reactions, and also lost its bioactivity. Meanwhile, the T5S mutant had similar biochemical properties and biological activity as wild-type human GIF, indicating the hydroxyl group on the Thr5 was critical to the bioactivity of human GIF. We suggest the hydroxyl group in human GIF may help stabilize the biologically active conformation. On the other hand, lack of the hydroxyl group in sheep GIF may be partially compensated by its abnormal structure.

Objective: To investigate the effect of endovascular therapy and artery bypass for subclavian artery occlusion disease and to explore a suitable therapeutic procedure., Methods: Thirty-nine patients with subclavian artery occlusive disease received endovascular therapy or arterial bypass from June 1997 to May 2004. Twenty-seven endovascular stenting were performed on 26 patients through the femoral artery (n = 14) or combined brachial artery (n = 12). Retrograde endovascular balloon angioplasty and stent placement were performed on 12 patients. Eight subclavian arteries were punctured with ultrasound localization. On account of unsuccessful stenting, 13 cases received arterial bypass. In addition, endovascular stenting were performed on 9 cases with carotid or vertebrarterial stenoses., Results: The blood pressure difference was less than 10 mm Hg between the treated and the healthy arms in all 39 patients. The ratio of healthy/diseased side of the mean blood pressure index increased from 0.62 +/- 0.11 preoperatively to 0.98 +/- 0.04 postoperatively (P < 0.01). The mean patency time for endovascular therapy and arterial bypass was (57.6 +/- 3.7) and (60.2 +/- 7.2) months, respectively., Conclusions: Both endovascular therapy and arterial bypass have good curative effect for subclavian artery occlusion. Endovascular therapy is the preferred treatment for subclavian artery occlusion with mini-trauma and safety.

Objective: To evaluate therapeutic efficacy of minimally invasive rotary varicotomy (TriVex) for superficial varicosities of low limbs and summarize our therapeutic experiences., Methods: One hundred and eighty-two cases (totally 216 lower limbs) were applied minimally invasive rotary varicotomy (TriVex) and relative clinical data was analyzed., Results: The average operation time for each limb was 48 min. Discomfort and pain of lower limbs disappeared in all of patients after operation. There was no residual of superficial varicosities. There was no severe complication and recurrence of varicosities. The postoperative complication rate was 21.3%., Conclusions: For treatment of superficial varicosities of low limbs, minimally invasive rotary varicotomy (TriVex) have many advantages including minimal invasion, quick recovery, safety and cosmetic effect. In addition, it has extensive indications and satisfactory therapeutic efficacy. It would be beneficial to master the operative techniques of key procedures. It could decrease complications and get better curative effects.

We examined the fate of neutrophils following transmigration through an endothelial monolayer cultured on "Transwell" membrane filters. Treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) with increasing doses of tumor necrosis factor-alpha increased the efficiency of transmigration and markedly reduced apoptosis among the transmigrated neutrophils in a dose-dependent manner. Apoptosis was also inhibited after transmigration of neutrophils through HUVEC stimulated with interleukin (IL)-1beta but not so effectively after chemotaxis through unstimulated HUVEC driven by IL-8 added below the filter. Inhibition of beta2-integrin binding after transmigration or coating the lower chamber with a nonadhesive polymer (polyhydroxyl-ethyl-methacrylate) abrogated neutrophil survival. Although integrin engagement during migration itself was not essential to inhibit apoptosis, activation of neutrophils through CXC chemokine receptors was necessary. Quite brief exposure to the HUVEC (30-120 min) was effective in reducing subsequent apoptosis, although if coincubation with the HUVEC were prolonged, neutrophil apoptosis was reduced further. Neutralization of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor inhibited this additional effect. Thus, a complex interplay between migration- and activation-dependent signals and adhesive interaction in tissue may combine to effectively prolong the survival of neutrophils recruited during inflammation.

Objective: Dendritic cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. To explore the effects of hyperglycemia on the maturation and immune function of human monocyte derived dendritic cells (MDCs)., Methods: Immature MDCs were cultured in RPMI1640 medium with either 5.5 mmol/L D-glucose (NG), 25 mmol/L D-glucose (HG) or 5.5 mmol/L D-glucose + 19.5 mmol/L mannitol (HM) in the absence or presence of 30 mmol/L N-acetylcysteine [NAC, a reactive oxygen species inhibitor (ROS)] for 48 hours. FACS was used to investigate the MDCs immunophenotypic expression. Immune function was evaluated by allogeneic mixed T lymphocyte reaction and measurement of cytokine levels from culture supernatants. Intracellular ROS production in MDCs was also measured by 2', 7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCF, 10 micromol/L) fluorescence using confocal laser-scanning microscopy techniques., Results: Compared with NG and HM treated MDCs, the expression of maturation markers such as CD1a, HLA-DR, CD83, CD86 were significantly upregulated, allogeneic T cells proliferation as well as the cytokines secretions (IL-2, IL-12, IL-10 and IFN-gamma) significantly increased in HG treated MDCs. Intracellular ROS production in MDCs was also significantly increased and all these stimulatory effects of HG could be partially attenuated by NAC., Conclusion: High glucose promote the maturation of MDCs and augment their capacity to stimulate T-cell proliferation and cytokine secretions at least in part through enhancing intracellular ROS generation. These stimulating effects of high glucose on MDCs maturation may be one of the mechanisms of accelerated atherosclerosis found in patients with diabetes.

Objective: To investigate whether p53 pathway participates in the effect of emodin on vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation., Methods: The effects of emodin on vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation were evaluated by cell count, senescent-associated beta-galactosidase staining, and annexin V staining. DNA synthesis was determined by (3)H-thymidine corporation, cell cycle was analyzed by FACS, the p53 protein level was measured by Western blot and cDNA expression array technology was used to demonstrate the effect of emodin on the simultaneous expression of a large number of genes in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells., Results: Emodin at 1.6-3.1 microg/ml inhibited VSMC growth, at 6.3-12.5 microg/ml promoted VSMC aging and induced VSMC apoptosis at 25.0 microg/ml 24 hours after exposure. Unscheduled DNA synthesis, which was a sensitive indicator for DNA injury, was observed in VSMC following 24 hours emodin exposure. The mRNA and protein levels of p53 were up-regulated in a concentration-dependent manner. Proliferation/carcinogenesis-related genes were down-regulated and other genes related to cell senescence, apoptosis, and DNA damage/repair were up-regulated in VSMC after exposure to emodin for 24 hours. Emodin readily permeated VSMC membrane and mostly located in the cytoplasm and few of them in the nucleus., Conclusions: The p53 pathway in VSMC was activated post emodin exposure in a concentration-dependent manner and which might be responsible for the observed antiproliferative effects of emodin in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of endovascular therapy for renal artery stenosis., Methods: Percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty with stent (PTRAS) was performed on 33 consecutive patients with severe renal artery stenosis who suffered from poorly controlled hypertension or renal dysfunction. They were subsequently underwent 7 to 49 months clinical follow up for the effect of the procedure on renal function, blood pressure control, mortality., Results: Angiographic success was obtained in 32 (97.0%) of the 33 patients. The mortality was 18.2%. After PTRAS, two (6.1%) died of myocardial infarction within 4 months. Four (12.1%) patients with preoperative serum creatinine (Scr) > or = 177 micromol/L died of uraemia within 17 approximately 28 months. Twelve and twenty-four months after the procedure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure of 26 (78.8%) cases with preoperative Scr < 177 micromol/L significantly decreased (P < 0.05), with less antihypertensive medications taken and satisfactory renal function., Conclusion: For patients without serious cardiorenal disease, PTRAS has a beneficial effect on blood pressure and renal function. For patients with serious cardiorenal disease or preoperative Scr > or = 177 micromol/L, the mortality is higher. PTRAS should be performed prudently. The preservation of renal function may be enhance by using renal protection device.

Objective: To detect the regulation of angiogenic genes involved in the processes of collateral development., Methods: Myocardial infarction (MI) scar was induced by cryoinjury in New Zealand rabbits. Four weeks after MI, 24 hours before cell transplantation, bone marrow was aspirated from the right thigh bone and mononuclear bone marrow cells (BMCs) were isolated by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation. Then the mononuclear BMCs (n = 8) or IMDM culture medium (n = 8) were transplanted into infarction scar and the periphery. Four weeks after mononuclear BMCs transplantation, DNA microarray analysis was performed to detect the regulation of angiogenesis-related genes in infarction scar and the periphery. And the differences of angiogenic genes expression were compared among several important growth factors by Western blot., Results: DNA microarray analysis showed the detail regulation of genes involved in the angiogenic processes. There were 15 genes upregulated over 3 times in the infarction scar. In addition, we also found more genes are involved in the process of angiogenesis in its periphery than in the infarction scar (40 genes vs. 15 genes). Western bolt analysis further demonstrated that mononuclear BMCs transplantation was capable of increasing the levels of VEGF, FGF and Angiopoietin-I expression in the infarction scar and its periphery, compared with the control group, P < 0.05., Conclusion: These findings indicate that the natural angiogenic processes leading to collateral development are extremely complex, since many kinds of bone marrow-derived growth factors involved in the processes after mononuclear BMCs transplantation into infarction sites.

This paper proposes a new algorithm to classify pulse waveforms based on discrete wavelet network. This paper selects 4-order discrete Daubechies wavelet as the wavelet node of this wavelet network to classify six pulse patterns distinctive in shape. 600 pulse records are used to train this wavelet network and 300 pulse records are used to test the classifier's performance. The test results show that this approach has 83% agreement rate with the experienced experts. Compared with traditional classification methods, it needs not the experience in feature extraction.

The purpose of this study was to set up an approach for expansion of the peripheral blood gammadeltaT cells from normal subjects in order to explore the characteristics of gammadeltaT cells. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) were separated from 5 - 10 ml peripheral blood and stimulated by the low molecular peptide derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb-Ag), and expanded in rIL-2-containing medium. The relative amount of gammadeltaT cells were measured by anti TCR gammadelta-PE staining and flow cytometry. The Cytotoxicity were detected by gammadeltaT assay. The results showed that after stimulation and expansion for 10 days, gammadeltaT cells increased to 69.2% of the total PBMNC and demonstrated significant cytotoxicity against K562 cells. In conclusion, this is a simple, rapid and specific method for expansion of peripheral blood gammadeltaT cells in vitro.

Neutrophils are very abundant, short-lived leucocytes and their death by apoptosis is central to homoeostasis and the resolution of inflammation, yet the trigger for apoptosis is still a topic of debate. Depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane has been supposed to initiate neutrophil spontaneous apoptosis, as neutrophils gradually lose the anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 and Bax translocates and inserts into the mitochondrial membrane. However, other reports show that caspase 8 is required for neutrophil apoptosis, suggesting the involvement of DR (death receptor) signalling. As DR ligation is not required for neutrophil apoptosis, this raises the intriguing possibility that activation of caspase 8 during neutrophil apoptosis occurs via a novel mechanism. In the present paper, we discuss the current evidence for mechanisms occurring in neutrophil apoptosis, which could trigger DR signalling in the absence of DR ligation., (Copyright 2004 Biochemical Society)

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of beta-blocker therapy on malignant ventricular arrhythmia in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI)., Methods: Beta-blockers, atenolol or betaloc, were given at the doses of 3.125 to 12.500 mg twice or 3 times a day (Bid or Tid) for management of malignant ventricular arrhythmia in 6 patients with AMI on the basis of conventional therapy. Increasing dosage of 25 to 50 mg was later initiated according to the patients' condition. In 2 cases that failed to respond to conventional antiarrhythmic, esmolol was administered via intravenous injection (5-10 mg) to control malignant ventricular arrhythmia within approximately 30 min, followed by a 2-day course of intravenous infusion at the rate of 1 to 2 mg/min., Results: Five AMI patients survived while death occurred in 1 case due to heart failure. No deterioration of the cardiac function or proarrhythmic effect was observed in the 5 survival cases, but the occurrence of transient hypotension in 2 cases in the early stage of beta-blocker application and death due to cardioc insufficiency in one., Conclusion: Adequate use of beta-blockers is necessary in the early stage of AMI for effective control of malignant ventricular arrhythmia and lowering the mortality.

Aim: To investigate whether endothelin-1 (ET-1) can promote human umbilical artery smooth muscle cell (HUASMC) proliferation through pathway of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and cyclin D1., Methods: The effects of ET-1 and PD98059 on HUASMC were evaluated by MTT assay. The content of DNA was defined by [3H]TdR assay and cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytomerty. Western blot analysis was employed to detect the active phosphorylated state of ERK and the expression of cylin D1., Results: Firstly, ET-1 (100 nmol/L) stimulated HUASMC proliferation compared with the group without ET-1 (P<0.05) and PD98059 group (P<0.05). PD98059 inhibited the HUASMC proliferation stimulated by ET-1 (P<0.05). Secondly, ET-1 stimulated DNA synthesis of HUASMC compared with the group without ET-1 (P<0.05). Thirdly, ET-1 promoted the cell cycle transition from G0/G1 phase to S phase. G0/G1 phase cell percentage was obviously decreased compared with the group without ET-1 (P<0.05). S phase cell percentage was increased compared with the group without ET-1 (P<0.05). Fourthly, ET-1 increased the phosphorylated level of ERK and the expression of cylin D1, an inhibitor of ERK blocked phosphorylated level of ERK and cyclin D1 expression. ERK phosphorylated level of ET-1 group was evidently increased compared with PD98059 group (P<0.05), Cyclin D1 protein expression also was increased compared with PD98059 group (P<0.05). While nonphosphorylated ERK expression remained unchanged., Conclusion: Endothelin-1 promoted vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation through pathway of ERK and cyclin D1.

To search for an effective drug to cure patients with chronic hepatitis B. Twenty eight patients with chronic hepatitis B were treated with prostaglandin E1. The comprehensive indexes, including glutamic pyruric tranasaminase (GPT), serum total bilirubin (TBIL), total bile acid (TBA), hyaluronic acid (HA) and precollagen type III (PCIII), were examined before and after treatment. The levels of GPT, TBIL, TBA, HA, PCIII after 1 month of the treatment were significantly lower than those before the treatment (P < 0.05), there were significant differences between the treated and the controlled group patients with chronic hepatitis B (P < 0.05). The results suggest that the treatment with PGE1 might improve hepatic function, and resist the hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Aim: To observe the polymorphism of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene in Northern Hans, Dahurs, and Ewenkis of China., Methods: The polymerase chain reaction was used to type the insertion/deletion polymorphism at intron 16 of ACE gene among 90 Northern Hans, 84 Dahurs, and 64 Ewenkis individuals. The experiment displayed the distribution in three kinds of ACE genotype: ID (heterozygotes of insertion and deletion), DD (homozygotes of deletion), and II (homozytes of insertion)., Results: In Northern Hans the percentages of the distributing ACE I/D genotype were ID 27.8 %, DD 17.8 %, and II 54.4 %. The I/D genotype frequency of Dahurs individuals were ID 60.7 %, DD 26.2 %, and II 13.1 %. The Ewenkis genotype frequency were ID 70.3 %, DD 21.9 %, and II 7.8 %., Conclusion: The polymorphism of ACE gene of Northern Hans is different from that of Dahurs and Ewenkis in China.

Neutrophils play a central role in host defense and are recruited in vast numbers to sites of infection where they phagocytose and kill invading bacterial pathogens. Neutrophils have a short half-life that is extended at the inflamed site by pro-inflammatory cytokines and contact with bacterial cell walls. Normal resolution of inflammation involves the removal of neutrophils and other inflammatory cells by the induction of apoptosis. Spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis does not require Fas ligation, but is mediated by caspases 3, 8 and possibly caspase 9 and also involves activation of protein kinase C-delta. With chronic inflammatory disease, neutrophil apoptosis is delayed by pro-inflammatory cytokines, leading to persistence of neutrophils at the inflamed site and non-specific tissue damage. Here we discuss the evidence for inhibition of neutrophil apoptosis via signaling though PI-3-kinase and downstream pathways, including PDK-1 and PKB. Therapeutic strategies to resolve chronic inflammation could therefore usefully target neutrophil apoptosis and the PI-3-kinase or PKC-delta signaling pathways.

In order to find an effective drug to cure patients with chronic hepatitis B, cordyceps sinensis had been used to treat 25 patients with chronic hepatitis B. The comprehensive index, including T lymphocyte subsets (CD4, CD8), hyaluronic acid(HC) and precollagen type III(PC III), were observed before and after treatment. After 3 months of treatment, CD4 and CD4/CD8 ratio increased significantly(P < 0.05), while HA and PC III decreased significantly(P < 0.05) compared with the control. The results suggest that the beneficial effects might be obtained by using cordyceps sinensis to adjust the T lymphocyte subsets level and to treat hepatic fibrosis on patients with chronic hepatitis B.

The mRNA was isolated and purified from tree shrew (TS) liver tissue. A cDNA library of the liver tissue was then constructed by using the mRNA as the template by reverse transcription. Two apolipoprotein CI (apoCI) cDNA clones were identified in the library with an anti-serum to TS apoCI. Sequencing and analysizing of the clones showed that both were the apoCI cDNA sequences in which the larger one was determined as 380 nucleotides. It contains 21 bp and 95 bp in 5' and 3' untranslated regions respectively, and 264 bp in an open reading frame, encoding an 88 aa apoCI precursor (a 26 aa signal peptide, and a 62 aa mature protein whose length is the same as those of rat, mouse and dog, but longer than those of human and baboon by 5 aa residues). The function domains in the protein sequence deduced from the cDNA were predicted by comparison of conservative regions in apoCIs from different species. The results of Northern blot indicated in TS the presence of apoCI mRNA not just mainly in the liver but also found in the intestine, suggesting the mRNA distribution different from those in other mammals and primates.