Shen'ge Formula Protects Cardiac Function in Rats with Pressure Overload-Induced Heart Failure.

Background: In China, Shen'ge formula (SGF), a Traditional Chinese Medicine blend crafted from ginseng and gecko, holds a revered place in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, despite its prevalent use, the precise cardioprotective mechanisms of SGF remain largely uncharted. This study aims to fill this gap by delving deeper into SGF's therapeutic potential and underlying action mechanism, thus giving its traditional use a solid scientific grounding. Methods: In this study, rats were subjected to abdominal aortic constriction (AAC) to generate pressure overload. Following AAC, we administered SGF and bisoprolol intragastrically at specified doses for two distinct durations: 8 and 24 weeks. The cardiac function post-treatment was thoroughly analyzed using echocardiography and histological examinations, offering insights into SGF's influence on vital cardiovascular metrics, and signaling pathways central to cardiac health. Results: SGF exhibited promising results, significantly enhanced cardiac functions over both 8 and 24-week periods, evidenced by improved ejection fraction and fractional shortening while moderating left ventricular parameters. Noteworthy was SGF's role in the significant mitigation of myocardial hypertrophy and in fostering the expression of vital proteins essential for heart health by the 24-week mark. This intervention markedly altered the dynamics of the Akt/HIF-1α/p53 pathway, inhibiting detrimental processes while promoting protective mechanisms. Conclusion: Our research casts SGF in a promising light as a cardioprotective agent in heart failure conditions induced by pressure overload in rats. Central to this protective shield is the modulation of the Akt/HIF-1α/p53 pathway, pointing to a therapeutic trajectory that leverages HIF-1α promotion and p53 nuclear transport inhibition.

Fault diagnosis of accelerometer servo circuit output saturation based on feature electrical parameters extraction.

The servo circuit of quartz flexible accelerometer is an extremely vital microelectronic device in inertial system. The paper introduces the traditional analysis process about output saturation fault of accelerometer servo circuit. For the shortcomings of traditional analysis methods, a fault diagnosis method based on feature electrical parameters extraction is proposed. According to the fault phenomenon, combined with the modular characteristics of hybrid integrated circuits, the feature electrical parameters of fault modes are extracted, and the fault modes' judgment basis is set. By the judgment results of the feature electrical parameters of the fault circuit, the circuit with output saturation fault caused by the electrical damage to the differential capacitance detector and other faults can be located quickly and accurately, and it is verified by the analysis of faulty circuit samples. Targeted for these faults, the improvement measures are put forward. This analysis method improves the fault diagnosis efficiency and reliability about the accelerometer servo circuit, and has guiding significance for enhancing the success rate of the failure analysis in the hybrid integrated circuits.

Insights into the influence of physicochemical parameters on the microbial community and volatile compounds during the ultra-long fermentation of compound-flavor Baijiu.

Introduction: While the variation in physicochemical parameters, microbial communities, metabolism, composition, and the proportion of volatile components in fermented grains (FG) affect final Baijiu quality, their complex interactions during the ultra-long fermentation of compound-flavor Baijiu (CFB) are still poorly understood. Methods: In this study, amplicon sequencing was used to analyze the microbial community, and headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was used to analyze the volatile components in FG during ultra-long fermentation of CFB. The relationships between the dominant microbial communities, physicochemical parameters, and volatile components were analyzed using redundancy analysis and network analysis. Results: During ultra-long fermentation, bacterial diversity was initially higher than during the mid and late stages. Fungal diversity in the mid stages was higher than that initially and later in the process. A total of 88 volatile components, including six alcohols, 43 esters, eight aldehydes and ketones, 13 acids, and 18 other compounds were detected in FG. Starch and reducing sugars in FG strongly affected the composition and function of bacterial and fungal communities. However, acidity had little effect on the composition and function of the bacterial flora. Lactobacillus, Bacillus, Weissella, and Pichia were the core microbial genera involved in metabolizing the volatile components of FG. Discussion: We provide insights into the relationships and influences among the dominant microbial communities, physicochemical parameters, and volatile components during ultra-long fermentation of CFB. These insights help clarify the fermentation mechanisms of solid-state fermentation Baijiu (SFB) and control and improve the aroma quality of CFB.

Cinnamaldehyde alleviates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by decreasing oxidative stress and ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes.

Although doxorubicin (DOX) is an efficient chemotherapeutic drug for human tumors, severe cardiotoxicity restricts its clinical use. Cinnamaldehyde (CA), a bioactive component isolated from Cinnamonum cassia, possesses potent anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic potentials. The major aim of this study was to evaluate the protective role of CA against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. To this end, cardiomyocyte injury models were developed using DOX-treated H9c2 cells and DOX-treated rats, respectively. Herein, we found that CA treatment increased cardiomyocyte viability and attenuated DOX-induced cardiomyocyte death in vitro. CA further protected rats against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, as indicated by elevated creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, myocardium injury, and myocardial fibrosis. CA alleviated DOX-induced myocardial oxidative stress by regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH) levels. Mechanistically, CA markedly accelerated nuclear translocation of nuclear erythroid factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and increased heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. Consequently, CA decreased DOX-induced cardiomyocyte ferroptosis, while Erastin (a ferroptosis agonist) treatment destroyed the effect of CA on increasing cardiomyocyte viability. Taken together, the current results demonstrate that CA alleviates DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, providing a promising opportunity to increase the clinical application of DOX.

Mapping the field of microalgae CO2 sequestration: a bibliometric analysis.

Microalgae CO2 sequestration has gained considerable attention in the last three decades as a promising technology to slow global warming caused by CO2 emissions. To provide a comprehensive and objective analysis of the research status, hot spots, and frontiers of CO2 fixation by microalgae, a bibliometric approach was recently chosen for review. In this study, 1561 articles (1991-2022) from the Web of Science (WOS) on microalgae CO2 sequestration were screened. A knowledge map of the domain was presented using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. It visually demonstrates the most productive journals (Bioresource Technology), countries (China and USA), funding sources, and top contributors (Cheng J, Chang JS, and their team) in the field of CO2 sequestration by microalgae. The analysis also revealed that research hotspots changed over time and that recent research has focused heavily on improving carbon sequestration efficiency. Finally, commercialization of carbon fixation by microalgae is a key hurdle, and supports from other disciplines could improve carbon sequestration efficiency.

Enhanced carbon dioxide fixation of Chlorella vulgaris in microalgae reactor loaded with nanofiber membrane carried iron oxide nanoparticles.

To improve the CO2 dissolution and carbon fixation in the process of microalgae capturing CO2 from flue gas, a nanofiber membrane containing iron oxide nanoparticles (NPsFe2O3) for CO2 adsorption was prepared, and coupled with microalgae utilization to achieve carbon removal. The performance test results showed that the largest specific surface area and pore size were 8.148 m2 g-1 and 27.505 Å, respectively, when the nanofiber membrane had 4% NPsFe2O3. Through CO2 adsorption experiments, it was found that the nanofiber membrane could prolong the CO2 residence time and increase CO2 dissolution. Then, the nanofiber membrane was used as a CO2 adsorbent and semifixed culture carrier in the Chlorella vulgaris culture process. The results showed that compared with the group without nanofiber membrane (0 layer), the biomass productivity, CO2 fixation efficiency and carbon fixation efficiency of Chlorella vulgaris with 2 layers of membranes increased by 1.4 times.

Effects of kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis) polysaccharides on metabolites and gut microbiota of acrylamide-induced mice.

Introduction: Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) has rich nutritious and medicinal properties. It is widely consumed worldwide for the intervention of metabolism disorders, however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Acrylamide, a well-known toxic ingredient, mainly forms in high-temperature processed carbohydrate-rich food and causes disorders of gut microbiota and systemic metabolism. Methods: This study explored the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of kiwifruit polysaccharides against acrylamide-induced disorders of gut microbiota and systemic metabolism by measuring the changes of gut microbiota and serum metabolites in mice. Results: The results showed that kiwifruit polysaccharides remarkably alleviated acrylamide-induced toxicity in mice by improving their body features, histopathologic morphology of the liver, and decreased activities of liver function enzymes. Furthermore, the treatment restored the healthy gut microbiota of mice by improving the microbial diversity and abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus. Metabolomics analysis revealed the positive effects of kiwifruit polysaccharides mainly occurred through amino and bile acid-related metabolism pathways including nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis, and alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism. Additionally, correlation analysis indicated that Lactobacillus exhibited a highly significant correlation with critical metabolites of bile acid metabolism. Discussion: Concisely, kiwifruit polysaccharides may protect against acrylamide-induced toxicity by regulating gut microbiota and metabolism.

Improvement of Shen'ge formula on heart function in diastolic heart failure: A protocol for randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study.

INTRODUCTION: Diastolic heart failure (DHF) is an important pathological type of heart failure, that involves multiple organ dysfunction and multiple complications. The prevalence of DHF is high, and effective treatments are lacking. Chinese herbs are an alternative therapy for DHF. Shen'ge formula (SGF) is a classical formula from which patients can benefit, but convincing evidence of its efficacy is lacking. Therefore, we designed this randomized controlled trial protocol. METHODS/DESIGN: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial will evaluate the efficacy and safety of SGF in the treatment of DHF. A total of 130 patients with DHF will be enrolled in the trial and treated with SGF granules or placebo for 12 weeks and followed up for 12 weeks. The primary outcome measurement will be to changes in plasma N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide precursor before versus after treatment, while the second primary outcome measurement will be changes in heart function before versus after treatment and the 12-week follow-up period. It will also include echocardiography, a cardiopulmonary exercise test, cardiac function grading, traditional Chinese medicine syndrome score, and the Minnesota Heart Failure Quality of Life Scale. Adverse events will be evaluated throughout the trial. DISCUSSION: The results of this trial will demonstrate whether SGF could alleviate symptoms, improve cardiac function, reduce readmission rates, and improve quality of life of patients with DHF. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Register, ChiCTR2000036533, registered on August 24, 2020.

Analyses of the Global Multilocus Genotypes of the Human Pathogenic Yeast Candida tropicalis.

Candida tropicalis is a globally distributed human pathogenic yeast, especially prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Over the last several decades, a large number of studies have been published on the genetic diversity and molecular epidemiology of C. tropicalis from different parts of the world. However, the global pattern of genetic variation remains largely unknown. Here we analyzed the published multilocus sequence data at six loci for 876 isolates from 16 countries representing five continents. Our results showed that 280 of the 2677 (10.5%) analyzed nucleotides were polymorphic, resulting in a mean of 82 (a range of 38-150) genotypes per locus and a total of 633 combined diploid sequence types (DSTs). Among these, 93 combined DSTs were shared by 336 strains, including 10 by strains from different continents. Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) showed that 89% of the observed genetic variations were found within regional and national populations while < 10% was due to among-country separations. Pairwise geographic population analyses showed overall low but statistically significant genetic differentiation between most geographic populations, with the Singaporean and Indian populations being the most distinct from other populations. However, the Mantel test showed no significant correlation between genetic distance and geographic distance among the geographic populations. Consistent with high genetic variation within and limited variations among geographic populations, results from STRUCTURE analyses showed that the 876 isolates could be grouped into 15 genetic clusters, with each cluster having a broad geographic distribution. Together, our results suggest frequent gene flows among certain regional, national, and continental populations of C. tropicalis, resulting in abundant regional and national genetic diversities of this important human fungal pathogen.

Meta-analysis of cholesteryl ester transfer protein TaqIB polymorphism and risk of myocardial infarction.

A number of studies have been conducted to explore the association between the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) TaqIB polymorphism and risk of myocardial infarction (MI); however, the results are inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to clarify the issue based on all the data available.Eligible studies were retrieved by searching PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. We calculated the crude odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) to assess the association between the TaqIB polymorphism and risk of MI.We included 13 studies involving 8733 MI cases and 8573 controls in the meta-analysis. The pooled results from all included studies showed decreased MI risk in the analysis of the B2B2 versus B1B1 (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.68-0.91), dominant (OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.77-0.99), and recessive genetic models (OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.78-0.91). The frequency of the B2B2 genotype in MI patients was lower (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.81-0.94). However, there was no significant association in the B1B2 versus B1B1 analysis (OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.81-1.05) and no significant difference for the B1B1 genotype (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.98-1.11) and B1B2 genotype (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.97-1.08). Cumulative analysis confirmed these results.Our results suggest that the B2B2 genotype of the CETP TaqIB polymorphism is a protective factor against the development of MI.

Experimental study on inhibition effects of the XAF1 gene against lung cancer cell proliferation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of high expression of XAF1 in vivo or in vitro on lung cancer cell growth and apoptosis. METHODS: 1. The A549 human lung cancer cell line was transfected with Ad5/F35 - XAF1, or Ad5/ F35 - Null at the same multiplicity of infection (MOI); (hereinafter referred to as transient transfected cell strain); XAF1 gene mRNA and protein expression was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) and Western blotting respectively. 2. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and annexin V-FITC/PI double staining were used to detect cell proliferation and apoptosis before and after infection of Ad5/F35 - XAF1 with Western blotting for apoptosis related proteins, caspase 3, caspase - 8 and PARP. 3. After the XAF1 gene was transfected into lung cancer A549 cells by lentiviral vectors, and selected by screening with Blasticidin, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting were applied to detect mRNA and protein expression, to establish a line with a stable high expression of XAF1 (hereinafter referred to as stable expression cell strain). Twenty nude mice were randomly divided into groups A and B, 10 in each group: A549/ XAF1 stable expression cell strain was subcutaneously injected in group A, and A549/Ctrl stable cell line stable expression cell strain in group B (control group), to observe transplanted tumor growth in nude mice. RESULTS: The mRNA and protein expression of XAF1 in A549 cells transfected by Ad5/F35 - XAF1 was significantly higher than in the control group. XAF1 mediated by adenovirus vector demonstrated a dose dependent inhibition of lung cancer cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. This was accompanied by cleavage of caspase -3, -8, -9 and PARP, suggesting activation of intrinsic or extrinsic apoptotic pathways. A cell strain of lung cancer highly expressing XAF1 was established, and this demonstrated delayed tumor growth after transplantation in vivo. CONCLUSION: Adenovirus mediated XAF1 gene expression could inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in lung cancer cells in vitro; highly stable expression of XAF1 could also significantly inhibit the growth of transplanted tumors in nude mouse, with no obvious adverse reactions observed. Therefore, the XAF1 gene could become a new target for lung cancer treatment.

Ginsenoside Rb3 attenuates oxidative stress and preserves endothelial function in renal arteries from hypertensive rats.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Panax ginseng is commonly used to treat cardiovascular conditions in Oriental countries. This study investigated the mechanisms underlying the vascular benefits of ginsenoside Rb3 (Rb3) in hypertension. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Rings of renal arteries were prepared from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and were cultured ex vivo for 8 h. Contractile responses of the rings were assessed with myograph techniques. Expression of NADPH oxidases was assessed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured using dihydroethidium fluorescence imaging and production of NO was determined using the fluorescent NO indicator DAF-FM diacetate in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. KEY RESULTS: Ex vivo treatment with Rb3 concentration-dependently augmented endothelium-dependent relaxations, suppressed endothelium-dependent contractions and reduced ROS production and expressions of NOX-2, NOX-4 and p67(phox) in arterial rings from SHR. Rb3 treatment also normalized angiotensin II (Ang II)-stimulated elevation in ROS and expression of NOX-2 and NOX-4 in arterial rings from WKY rats. Rb3 inhibited Ang II-induced reduction of NO production and phosphorylation of endothelial NOS in cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Rb3 also inhibited oxidative stress in renal arterial rings from hypertensive patients or in Ang II-treated arterial rings from normotensive subjects. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Ex vivo Rb3 treatment restored impaired endothelial function in arterial rings from hypertensives by reversing over-expression of NADPH oxidases and over-production of ROS, and improved NO bioavailability. Our findings suggest that medicinal plants containing Rb3 could decrease oxidative stress and protect endothelial function in hypertension.

Effects of Panax notoginseng flower extract on the TGF-ß/Smad signal transduction pathway in heart remodeling of human chymase transgenic mice.

Panax notoginseng is a common Chinese herb extensively used in Chinese medical practice for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Panax notoginseng flower extract (PNFE) on the TGF-ß/Smad signal transduction pathway in heart remodeling of human chymase transgenic mice. After treatment with PNFE and soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI), the left ventricular mass indexes (LVMIs) of transgenic and normal C57 BL/6 mice were analyzed. The mRNA expression of chymase, TGF-ß1, Smad2, Smad3 and Smad7 in myocardium was assessed with RT-PCR, while the protein expression in myocardium was detected by western blotting. The results showed that PNFE and SBTI treatment led to a significant reduction in LVMIs in transgenic mice, indicating a beneficial effect on left ventricular remodeling. Mechanistically, PNFE and SBTI treatment attenuated the mRNA expression of chymase, TGF-ß1, Smad2 and Smad3, as well as the protein expression in the myocardium tissues of the transgenic mouse model. By contrast, PNFE and SBTI treatment markedly up-regulated the mRNA and protein expression of Smad7. It was concluded that PNFE was able to improve the ventricular hypertrophy state in human chymase transgenic mice through regulation of the expression of mRNA and protein of TGF-ß/Smad in ventricular tissues.

[Effects of Naoxinduotai capsule on markers of prothrombotic state in patients with essential hypertension].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Naoxinduotai capsule on the markers of prothrombotic state as plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), von Willebrand factor (vWF) and alpha-granular membrane protein (CD62p) in essential hypertension patients of yang hyperactivity and blood stagnation. METHOD: The 62 essential hypertension patients of yang hyperactivity and blood stagnation were divided into Naoxinduotai capsule + perindopril group (treatment group, 30 subjects) and Perindopril group (control group, 32 subjects). Clinical symptoms, blood pressure and the blood plasma PAI-1, vWF, CD62p of the patients were observed. The blood plasma PAI-1, vWF and CD62p were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). RESULT: After 8 weeks treatment, in treatment group the clinical symptoms became better, and there was a significant difference with control group (P < 0.05). Blood pressure was significantly degraded, but there was not a significant difference with control group. The blood plasma PAI-1, vWF, CD62p level was degraded ,and there were significant differences with control group in all the three makers (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Naoxinduotai capsule can treat the essential hypertension patients of Yang hyperactivity and blood stagnation, and it has conspicuous advantages in improving the clinical symptoms and the makers of prothrombotic state.

Improved neural network based scene-adaptive nonuniformity correction method for infrared focal plane arrays.

An improved scene-adaptive nonuniformity correction (NUC) algorithm for infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPAs) is proposed. This method simultaneously estimates the infrared detectors' parameters and eliminates the nonuniformity causing fixed pattern noise (FPN) by using a neural network (NN) approach. In the learning process of neuron parameter estimation, the traditional LMS algorithm is substituted with the newly presented variable step size (VSS) normalized least-mean square (NLMS) based adaptive filtering algorithm, which yields faster convergence, smaller misadjustment, and lower computational cost. In addition, a new NN structure is designed to estimate the desired target value, which promotes the calibration precision considerably. The proposed NUC method reaches high correction performance, which is validated by the experimental results quantitatively tested with a simulative testing sequence and a real infrared image sequence.

[Effects of Huoxue Qianyang Formula on expressions of proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-myc in spontaneous hypertensive rats with ventricular hypertrophy].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the possible mechanism of Huoxue Qianyang Formula (HXQYF), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in reversing the left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) of spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHRs) by analyzing the expressions of mRNAs and proteins of proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-myc in left ventricular muscle. METHODS: The experimental study was carried out in SHRs, the sex- and age-matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were served as normal control (n=5, normal saline 10 ml/kg daily). Twenty-five SHRs were randomly divided into five groups: untreated group (n=5, normal saline 10 ml/kg daily), high-dose HXQYF-treated group (n=5, 0.84 g/ml HXQYF, 10 ml/kg daily), medium-dose HXQYF-treated group (n=5, 0.42 g/ml HXQYF, 10 ml/kg daily), low-dose HXQYF-treated group (n=5, 0.21 g/ml HXQYF, 10 ml/kg daily) and cilazapril-treated group (n=5, 1 mg/ml cilazapril, 10 ml/kg daily). The drugs were intragastrically administered once daily for 14 weeks. The expressions of mRNAs and proteins of proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-myc in left ventricular muscle were detected separately by in situ hybridization histochemical method and immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the expressions of mRNAs and proteins of proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-myc in left ventricular muscle were significantly increased in untreated group (P<0.01). After treatment, the expressions of c-fos and c-myc mRNAs in left ventricular muscle in HXQYF-treated groups were significantly down-regulated as compared with those of the untreated group (P<0.05). The expressions of c-myc protein were also significantly decreased in high- and medium-dose HXQYF-treated groups as compared with the untreated group (P<0.05), but it had no significant effects in protein expression of c-fos in the three HXQYF-treated groups. CONCLUSION: HXQYF can inhibit the expression of c-myc in ventricular hypertrophy tissue, which may be the mechanism in treating LVH of hypertension.

[Study on knowledge discovery in traditional Chinese medical case records].

Traditional Chinese medical case records in the previous dynasties are vital to the development of traditional Chinese medical theory, but the tremendous amount of data are far beyond a person's ability for comprehension. According to information science, traditional Chinese medical case record data are complicated and intricate experiential data. New technology and methods are needed to solve this difficulty. Knowledge discovery technology plays an important role in analyzing data and uncovering important data patterns, and it will be a useful method in processing such data. This paper briefly presents the methods of knowledge discovery in traditional Chinese medical case record study, and puts forward some necessary academic methods.

[Study of Huoxue Qianyang granules in revising the left ventricular hypertrophy of spontaneous hypertension rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism of Huoxue Qianyang Granule (HXQYG), a traditional Chinese compound medicine, in revising the left ventricular hypertrophy of hypertension. METHODS: Spontaneous hypertension rats (SHR) were randomly divided into seven groups: untreated group, Songling Xuemaikang (SLXMK)-treated group, captopril-treated group, high-, medium- and low-dose HXQYG-treated groups, and normal control group. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were measured. The content of angiotensin II (Ang II) in left ventricular tissue was determined by radioimmunoassay. The expressions of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) protein and mRNA in left ventricular tissue were analyzed separately by immunohistochemical method and RT-PCR. RESULTS: (1) SBP and LVMI were higher in the untreated group than those in the normal control group, and they were lower in the high- and medium-dose HXQYG-treated groups than those in the untreated group, but higher than those in the captopril-treated group, and without significant difference as compared to those in the SLXMK-treated group. (2) The content of Ang II and expressions of ACE protein and mRNA in the left ventricular tissue in the untreated group were higher than those in the normal control group, and they were lower in the HXQYG-treated groups than those in the untreated group, but higher than those in the captopril-treated group, and without significant difference as compared to those in the SLXMK-treated group. CONCLUSION: HXQYG can reverse the left ventricular hypertrophy of SHR, which may be due to decreasing the amount of Ang II and expressions of ACE protein and mRNA in the left ventricular tissue.

Detection of serum neopterin for early assessment of dengue virus infection.

OBJECTIVE: Neopterin is generated and released in increased amounts by macrophages upon activation by interferon-gamma during Th1-type immune response. The potential usefulness of neopterin in early prognostic information of dengue virus infection was investigated. METHODS: Neopterin concentrations were determined in serum samples from 110 dengue fever (DF) patients. The neopterin levels were compared with those in 50 measles and 40 influenza patients; 155 healthy blood donors served as controls. RESULTS: In acute sera of DF patients mean neopterin concentration was 48.2 nmol/L, which was higher than that in patients with measles (mean: 36.3 nmol/L) and influenza (18.8 nmol/L) and in healthy controls (6.7 nmol/L; P<0.001). In the patients with confirmed DF, an early neopterin elevation was detected already at the first day after the onset of symptoms and rose to a maximum level of 54.3 nmol/L 4 days after the onset. Higher increase of neopterin level in DF patients was associated with longer duration of fever and thus predicted the clinical course of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: Neopterin concentrations were found significantly higher in DF patients compared with healthy controls and also with other viral infections (P<0.001) and may allow early assessment of the severity of DF.

[Study on human case of avian influenza in Guangzhou 2006 without causing human-to-human transmission among close contacts].

UNLABELLED: Study on human case of avian influenza in Guangzhou 2006 without causing human-to-human transmission OBJECTIVE: To explore the possibility of transmission from a human case of avian influenza to his close contacts. METHODS: Close contacts of the human case of avian influenza in Guangzhou 2006 were found out according to the definition and methods publicized by the Ministry of Health, People's Republic of China. Epidemiological investigation and medical observation were carried out. Serum antibodies were tested in some of the close contacts. RESULTS: The avian influenza patient had never left Guangzhou in the month prior to disease onset. No contact history with dead or diseased poultry was found. A total of 56 close contacts, including his girl friend, relatives, friends and medical staff who had taken care of him, were brought under medical observation for 7 days but none of them showed signs of infection. CONCLUSION: Unlike SARS, direct contact with patient contracted with avian influenza at the end of incubation period and in the stage of illness through flying droplets, saliva, mucous membrane and skin injuries will not lead to human-to-human transmission, indicating the virus' ability to pass from human to human is limited.