[Efficacy and safety of cryotherapy combined with balloon dilatation through electronic bronchoscope in the management of airway occlusion caused by scar stenosis type of tracheobronchial tuberculosis].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of cryotherapy combined with balloon dilatation through electronic bronchoscope in the management of airway occlusion caused by scar stenosis type of tracheobronchial tuberculosis (TBTB). Methods: From December 2008 to May 2016, 98 cases of airway occlusion caused by scar stenosis of TBTB were diagnosed by microbiology, histopathology, CT (computer tomography), bronchial reconstructions and bronchoscopy. All patients underwent routine anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy and cryotherapy through bronchoscope. The patients whose airways were reopened successfully received balloon dilatation through bronchoscope subsequently. The treatment effects were estimated by indexes including clinical efficacy, modified medical research council (mMRC) dyspnea scale and complications. Results: Among the 98 patients, airway occlusion in 87 cases were reopened successfully by cryotherapy for (10±4) times, and then these patients received balloon dilatation through bronchoscope for (7±3) times subsequently. The total effective rates were 76.53% and 72.45% after 3 and 12 months after the treatments respectively. Analysis of the disease courses of patients with different therapeutic efficacy showed that the median disease course was 3 months in healed cases, 5 months in effective cases and 9 months in ineffective cases. There was a significant difference between the ineffective and the total effective cases in disease courses (t=-15.012, P<0.01). The average of mMRC score changed from (3.8±0.5) before the procedure, to (1.1±0.7), (1.2±0.7) and (1.2±0.7) immediately, 3 and 12 months after the treatments. The difference was significant between the scores before and after therapy (t=30.398-31.058, P<0.01), but not among the 3 scores after treatments. No serious complications were observed in all cases. Conclusions: Cryotherapy combined with balloon dilatation through electronic bronchoscope was a very safe and effective method in the management of airway occlusion caused by scar stenosis of tracheobronchial tuberculosis. A shorter course of disease indicated more benefits for patients.

Application of ultrasound technology in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive tract diseases.

Ultrasound is commonly used in clinical examination which is economic, non-invasive and convenient. Ultrasound can be used for the examination of solid organs and hollow organs. Due to the presence of air, routine ultrasound examination of the digestive tract is not very appropriate, Because of the development of endosonography and its related technology, diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases have been improved which is valuable in clinic. This review focused on the application of ultrasound technology in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive tract diseases.

Genome-wide association studies for hematological traits in swine.

Improving immune capacity may increase the profitability of animal production if it enables animals to better cope with infections. Hematological traits play pivotal roles in animal immune capacity and disease resistance. Thus far, few studies have been conducted using a high-density swine SNP chip panel to unravel the genetic mechanism of the immune capability in domestic animals. In this study, using mixed model-based single-locus regression analyses, we carried out genome-wide association studies, using the Porcine SNP60 BeadChip, for immune responses in piglets for 18 hematological traits (seven leukocyte traits, seven erythrocyte traits, and four platelet traits) after being immunized with classical swine fever vaccine. After adjusting for multiple testing based on permutations, 10, 24, and 77 chromosome-wise significant SNPs were identified for the leukocyte traits, erythrocyte traits, and platelet traits respectively, of which 10 reached genome-wise significance level. Among the 53 SNPs for mean platelet volume, 29 are located in a linkage disequilibrium block between 32.77 and 40.59 Mb on SSC6. Four genes of interest are located within the block, providing genetic evidence that this genomic segment may be considered a candidate region relevant to the platelet traits. Other candidate genes of interest for red blood cell, hemoglobin, and red blood cell volume distribution width also have been found near the significant SNPs. Our genome-wide association study provides a list of significant SNPs and candidate genes that offer valuable information for future dissection of molecular mechanisms regulating hematological traits.

Bayesian methods for estimating GEBVs of threshold traits.

Estimation of genomic breeding values is the key step in genomic selection (GS). Many methods have been proposed for continuous traits, but methods for threshold traits are still scarce. Here we introduced threshold model to the framework of GS, and specifically, we extended the three Bayesian methods BayesA, BayesB and BayesCπ on the basis of threshold model for estimating genomic breeding values of threshold traits, and the extended methods are correspondingly termed BayesTA, BayesTB and BayesTCπ. Computing procedures of the three BayesT methods using Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm were derived. A simulation study was performed to investigate the benefit of the presented methods in accuracy with the genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) for threshold traits. Factors affecting the performance of the three BayesT methods were addressed. As expected, the three BayesT methods generally performed better than the corresponding normal Bayesian methods, in particular when the number of phenotypic categories was small. In the standard scenario (number of categories=2, incidence=30%, number of quantitative trait loci=50, h² = 0.3), the accuracies were improved by 30.4%, 2.4%, and 5.7% points, respectively. In most scenarios, BayesTB and BayesTCπ generated similar accuracies and both performed better than BayesTA. In conclusion, our work proved that threshold model fits well for predicting GEBVs of threshold traits, and BayesTCπ is supposed to be the method of choice for GS of threshold traits.

Regulation of NK92-MI cell cytotoxicity by substance P.

The neuropeptide substance P (SP) can regulate a number of immunological functions in vitro and in vivo and may regulate natural killer (NK) cell activity. Here, we investigated whether SP has a role in regulating NK92-MI cell function in vitro, and how it influences NK cell activity. We found that SP dose dependently increased the cytotoxicity of NK92-MI cells and had a maximal effect at a concentration of 10(-12) and 10(-10) m. Furthermore, the expression of cytotoxic-associated molecules (perforin, granzyme) and activating receptor NKp46 [a member of natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs)] was observed to be upregulated by SP at optimal concentration, at which SP enhanced the cytotoxicity of NK92-MI cells. Neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R), a functional receptor of SP, was found on NK92-MI cells, and the observed effects of SP on NK92-MI cells could be more partially blocked by an NK-1R antagonist. Our data suggest that SP induces NK92-MI cell cytotoxicity by directly increasing the expression of cytotoxic granules and upregulates NK92-MI cell receptor-mediated functions indirectly. Thus, SP may regulate NK cell function mainly through NK-1R.

Differential chemotactic potential of mouse platelet basic protein for thymocyte subsets.

Mouse platelet basic protein (CXCL7/mPBP) was cloned from thymic stromal cells and further identification indicated that it was expressed in thymic monocytes/macrophages (Mo/Mphis). Recombinant mPBP was chemoattractive for target cells of polymorphonuclear leucocytes, peritoneal Mo/Mphis and splenic lymphocytes with distinct potencies. CXCR2 was identified to be a cognate receptor for mPBP. Mouse thymocyte subsets of CD4-CD8- double-negative (DN), CD4+CD8+ double-positive (DP), CD4+CD8- single-positive (CD4SP) and CD4-CD8+ single-positive (CD8SP) expressed cell surface CXCR2 with different positive percentages and expression levels. mPBP was chemoattractive for thymocyte subsets with the potency order DN>DP> CD8SP>CD4SP, consistent with the levels of CXCR2 expressed on the respective cells. Thus, mPBP in thymus is functionally redundant with chemokine CXCL12/ SDF-1. Moreover, our finding that thymic Mo/Mphis can produce mPBP implies that they may have other functions apart from acting as scavengers in thymus.

[A preliminary study on effect of electro-acupuncture by the cortical infrared thermography].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the possibility of using cortical infrared thermography (CIT) and temperature in studying the principle of acupuncture and moxibustion. METHODS: The changes of the cerebral cortical temperature during electro-acupuncture (EA) by CIT in twenty cats were observed. By opening skull before experiments the cortex of animals was revealed. The distribution of the cortical temperature of the awakend animals was studied by AGA Infrared Thermovision, the thermograms were analysed by computer. RESULTS: (1) The thermograms of the profile of the cortex could be displayed clearly, the temperature was higher and lower in ante- and post-cortex respectively than that in other regions. (2) The cortical temperature declined slightly during 30 minutes in cats without EA. (3) After EA, the temperature of cortex generally increased 0.3 to 1.7 degrees centigrade, at 5 min after EA, the temperature increment was the highest, at 10 min after EA, the temperature increment was higher than before EA but lower than 5 min after EA, the cortical temperature recovered 10 min after stopping stimulating. (4) The temperature increment was more obvious in the regions of Ant. Ectosylvian, Ant. Suprasylvian and Ant. Sylvian than that in other regions. No matter where the site of EA was, every group had its region of higher temperature increment. The regions of the temperature increment in the cortex were mainly in the somatesthesia regions. There were similar characteristics between the temperature response in the cortex showing by CIT after EA and the activity of cortical nerve cells after stimulation. CONCLUSION: The display of the temperature response could be taken as the indication of the nervous activity. CIT could be used to conduct the studies of the acupuncture and brain.

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness in young students of southern China: relation to respiratory symptoms, diagnosed asthma, and risk factors.

A cross sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of bronchial hyperresponsiveness and asthma in 3067 students aged 11-17 years in an urban and a rural area of Guangzhou (Canton), China. The methods used included a self administered questionnaire, a histamine bronchial provocation test, and allergen skinprick tests. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness was defined as a 20% fall in FEV1 and peak expiratory flow at a provoking dose of histamine (PD20) less than 7.8 mumol on two occasions four weeks apart. The response rate was 98.0% and 99.2% in the two areas. The prevalence of bronchial hyperresponsiveness was 4.1% and of diagnosed asthma 2.4% in the total population. There were no significant differences in prevalence between the urban and the rural area or between boys and girls. The 11-12 year group had a higher prevalence of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (7.6%) than the older groups. Of the 125 with bronchial hyperresponsiveness, 12.0% were defined as having severe or moderate (PD20 less than 0.8 mumol), 26% mild (0.9-3.2 mumol), and 62% slight bronchial hyperresponsiveness (3.3-7.8 mumol). The severity of bronchial hyperresponsiveness was closely related to diagnosed asthma, wheezing, and cough, though half the students with bronchial hyperresponsiveness were symptom free. The most common allergens were house dust and house dust mite in the city, and hay dust, pollen, and feathers in the rural area. The odds ratios for having respectively slight, mild or moderate, and severe bronchial hyperresponsiveness were 5.9, 21.0, and 30.4 for atopy; 1.9, 1.9, and 7.3 for early respiratory infection; and 3.1, 2.5, and 5.6 for a history of parental asthma.

[Effect of electro-acupuncture on the segment length of the myocardium and the left intraventricular pressure-length vector loop during experimental acute myocardial ischemic damage].

In order to explore the effect of electroacupuncture on myocardial contractibility in the ischemic area, a medical Silicon tube with Saturated Copper Sulfate was used as length gauge and set at 5mm below the ligated marginalis and paralleled with blood vessel. The signals of the length and the pumping function were transmitted into the polygraph and the signals of the left intraventricular pressure (LVP) and the segment length (L) were conveyed into the oscilloscope to display the LVP-L vector loop. Electroacupuncture was applied bilaterally on Neiguan points with electrical impulses of strength 5 volts. The coronary artery was ligated for 20 min and then loosened. electro-acupuncture was performed and lasted 20 min. Imbedded the needle for 30 min, then ligated at the original position and never loosened again; 15 min later, the electroacupuncture was performed for the second time, lasting 20 min, then the needle was with drawn and observed for 15 min. The Epicardial ECG was used as the standard to judge the degree of the myocardial ischemic injury. A comparison was made between the parameters determined 15 min after ligation and all the procedures after electroacupuncture. There were 15 dogs in the electroacupuncture group and 15 in the control group. 1. The mean amplitude of segment length of the myocardium was 23 mm before ligation. 15 min after ligation, it slightly decreased in the electroacupuncture group while slightly increased in the control group. There was no obvious difference in the duration of the amplitude between the two groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Preliminary observation on effect of electroacupuncture on myocardial metabolism in fasting dogs].

It was observed in the study that effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on energy and oxygen metabolism of myocardium in fasting dogs. 28 healthy mongrel dogs were divided into control and electroacupuncture (EA) group randomly. All the dogs were used in the experiment after fast of 7 days, and during the fasting the dogs were fed with water. The result shows that before EA, the quantity of myocardial uptake of free fatty acid (FFA) and glucose and myocardial consumption of oxygen in control group have not marked difference from that in EA group respectively (P greater than 0.05). Myocardia uptake of FFA in EA group was obviously decreased than that in control group after EA on Pishu and Zhongwan points (P less than 0.05) and myocardial uptake of glucose in EA group was enhanced in comparison with that in control group (P less than 0.05). After removing needles, myocardial uptake of FFA was reduced in contrast to that before EA in EA group with statistical significance (P less than 0.05). Myocardial consumption of oxygen showed a depressing tendency after EA in EA group. but after removing needles, the data of myocardial consumption of oxygen had no difference from that before EA in EA group (P greater than 0.05) and there was not different too in comparison of all the corresponding data between the EA and control group separately. The results shows that the state of myocardial metabolism in fasting dogs could be improved by EA such as myocardial uptake of glucose was enhanced and myocardial uptake of FFA was reduced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)