Nitric oxide mediated TNF-α, IL-1β gene expression in liver induced by crush injury of rat's soft tissues / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the gene expression of hepatic TNF-α and IL-1β by crush injury of rat's soft tissues.@*METHODS@#Rats were randomly divided into sham group, crush group, crush+aminoguanidine (AG) group, and crush+L-arginine (L-Arg) group. Activities of ALT and AST as well as NO level in serum were measured. Gene expressions of TNF-α and IL-1β were detected with RT-PCR.@*RESULTS@#Obvious increase in TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA expression was detected in the crush group compared with the sham group (P<0.05). After pretreated L-Arg, expressions of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA were markedly increased (P<0.05). After pretreated AG, those indices obviously decreased (P<0.05). Activities of ALT and AST enhanced and NO level increased in the crush group compared with the sham group (P<0.05). Pretreatment with L-Arg or AG led to substantial increased or reduced activities of ALT and AST as well as NO levels, respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#Endogenous NO mediated TNF-α, IL-1β mRNA up expression in liver induced by increased production of NO after crush injury of rat's soft tissues.

DNA extraction from bones and teeth using AutoMate Express forensic DNA extraction system / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore a new method in order to extract DNA from bones and teeth automatically.@*METHODS@#Samples of 33 bones and 15 teeth were acquired by freeze-mill method and manual method, respectively. DNA materials were extracted and quantified from the triturated samples by AutoMate Express forensic DNA extraction system.@*RESULTS@#DNA extraction from bones and teeth were completed in 3 hours using the AutoMate Express forensic DNA extraction system. There was no statistical difference between the two methods in the DNA concentration of bones. Both bones and teeth got the good STR typing by freeze-mill method, and the DNA concentration of teeth was higher than those by manual method.@*CONCLUSION@#AutoMate Express forensic DNA extraction system is a new method to extract DNA from bones and teeth, which can be applied in forensic practice.

Risk factors of contrast-induced nephropathy after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with coronary heart disease and the countermeasures / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the risk factors of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) after coronary interventional therapy (PCI) in patients with coronary heart disease and analyze the clinical outcomes and the preventive measures of CIN.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety-one patients who developed CIN after PCI were retrospectively analyzed to identify the risk factors and explore the preventive measures.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CIN was strongly associated with pre-procedural chronic renal failure, diabetes mellitus and administration of large-dose contrast. The incidence of cardiac mortality in hospital or in the follow-up at one year after PCI, and the incidence of myocardial infarction or major adverse cardiac events in the follow-up at one year were obviously higher in patients with CIN than those without CIN.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Chronic renal failure, diabetes mellitus and large-dose contrast administration are 3 independent risk factors of CIN, which affects the prognosis of the patients. Reinforcement of a comprehensive perioperative management of PCI, especially a rigorous preoperative preparation, can be an important strategy for prevention of CIN.</p>

Comprehensive treatment of radiation-induced lower cranial neuropathy in patients with nasopharyngcal carcinoma: a clinical analysis / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of comprehensive treatments for radiation-induced lower cranial neuropathy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Meathods Fifty NPC patients with radiation-induced lower cranial neuropathy were randomly divided into comprehensive treatment group and control group. In the former group, the 25 patients received 10 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen treatment in addition to intravenous infusion of methyprednisolone (60-80 mg, once daily for 10 consecutive days) and aceglutamide (500 mg, once daily for 28 days), with also patients in the control group were given 2 compound vitamine B tablets and 3 compound Denshen tablets three times a day for 45 days. Results The excellent effect, improvement, non-response, and exacerbation rates in the comprehensive treatment group were 24%, 72%, 4%, and 0%, as compared to the rates of 0%, 12%, 80%, and 8% in the control group, respectively. The overall response rate in the comprehensive treatment group was 96%, significantly higher than that in the control group (12%, P<0.05). In the patients receiving comprehensive treatment, exclusion of chemotherapy and shorter duration of symptoms of nerve damage were associated with better therapeutic effect (P<0.05). Conclusion Methyprednisolone, mouse nerve growth factor and hyperbaric oxygen treatment can relieve the symptoms of radiation-induced lower cranial neuropathy in NPC patients, and the therapeutic effect of the treatments is associated with chemotherapy and sustaining time of the symptoms of nerve damage, suggesting the necessity of early treatment of neurological impairment in these patinets.

Levels of C-reactive protein and antibodies against oxidized low-density lipoprotein in patients with different types of coronary heart disease / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relation of the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and antibodies against oxidized low-density lipoprotein (anti-oxLDL) to with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The levels of CRP, anti-oxLDL and anti-LDL were measured and compared in 96 subjects including 26 with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 29 with unstable angina pectoris (UAP), 20 with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and 21 control subjects to evaluate the relationship between CRP and anti-oxLDL.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both CRP and anti-oxLDL levels in patients with ACS, including AMI and UAP, were significantly higher than those in SAP patients and the control subjects (P<0.05), but the level of anti-LDL showed no significant difference between the groups (P>0.05). There was significant positive correlation between the levels of CRP and anti-oxLDL (P<0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The specific immune response to oxLDL may play an important role in the instability of plaque and the occurrence of ACS, and anti-oxLDL level may serve as an important specific marker for the instability of plaque.</p>