Di 1 jun yi da xue xue bao = Academic journal of the first medical college of PLA最新文献

Objective: To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of patients with hypertension.

Methods: Totally 319 patients with hypertension were investigated for their QOL in comparison with 319 healthy controls using the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment instrument (WHOQOL-100).

Results: The scores of physical functions, psychological condition, independent ability, social relation, living environment, and personal faith and the total score of QOL-100 were significantly lower in the hypertensive patients than in the normal subjects (P<0.01). After adjusting the confounding factors of other diseases, the scores of all the items with the exception of personal faith and the total score of QOL-100 were all lower in the patients than in the controls (P<0.01). Hostelling T2 test and multivariate analysis of variance showed significant differences in the QOL between the hypertensive patients and the controls in the 6 domains synthesized (P<0.01), further demonstrating lowered QOL of hypertensive patients in comparison with the healthy population.

Conclusion: Improvement of the hypertensive patients' QOL in addition to effective blood pressure control is a basic target in clinical therapy of hypertension.

Objective: To investigate protein kinase C (PKC) expression and its association with multidrug resistance (MDR) in KBV200 cells.

Methods: KBV200 cells were preincubated with PKC activator phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA, 200 nmol/L) and PKC activity was assayed by measurement of peptide substrate (32)P incorporation from [gamma-(32)P]ATP, with the cells without PMA preincubation serving as the control. Western blotting was performed for assessing the expression of PKC isoform, and the cell inhibition rate was evaluated by MTT assay.

Results: PMA preincubation of the cells significantly enhanced the activity of the total PKC and the membrane fraction, but lowered the PKC activity of the cytosol fraction, as compared with the cells without PMA treatment (P<0.01). PKC-alpha expression was upregulated in the membrane fraction and down-regulated in the cytosol fraction in KBV200 cells after PMA preincubation. PKCbeta expression was slightly elevated in the cytosol fraction but exhibited no obvious changes in the membrane fraction after PMA pretreatment of the cells. The values of IC(50) of vincristine and adriamycin in PMA-treated cells were increased to 2275.5 nmol/L and 233.25 nmol/L, respectively (P<0.01).

Conclusion: PMA can increase the multidrug resistance of KBV200 cells, which suggests the possible involvement of PKC in the mechanism of multidrug resistance of tumor cells.

Objective: To investigate the expression and distribution of L-type calcium channel alpha1C subunits in adult rat heart.

Methods: HE staining was applied on the frozen sections of adult rat heart to identify the sinoatrial node (SAN), atrioventricular node (AVN), and posterior nodal extension (PNE). The protein expression of L-type calcium channel alpha1C in adult rat heart and its cellular localization were examined by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, respectively.

Results: L-type calcium channel alpha1C subunit was immunolocalized on the membrane of the myocardial cells, and its expression increased gradually in the SAN, AVN, PNE, right atrium and right ventricle. The protein level of L-type calcium channel alpha1C in the AVN was similar to that in the PNE (P>0.05), and its level in the right atrium and ventricle were significantly higher than those in the SAN and AVN (P<0.01). The results of Western blotting were well consistent with the results of immunohistochemistry.

Conclusion: The expression of L-type calcium channel alpha1C subunit may play a role in the electrophysiological functions of the heart.

Objective: To analyze the sequences of the mutated genes in CTX(EVC)Phi and nct-CTX(new)Phi genomes in Vibrio cholerae JS94484 strain.

Methods: The mutated genes in CTX(EVC)Phi and nct-CTX(new)Phi genome were obtained by PCR, sequenced and analyzed.

Results: ig1, rstR, ig2, and ctxAB genes in CTX(EVC)Phi genome of V. cholerae strain JS94484 were highly homologous with those of standard EVC strain N16961, while ig1, rstR and ig2 genes in nct-CTX(new)Phi genome of the strain JS94484 shared low homology with those of the other 3 biotypes of V. cholerae. Considerable difference was detected in the last 60 bp of zot genes between CTX(EVC)Phi and nct-CTX(new)Phi genomes, indicating possible difference in the amino sequences of the Zot proteins encoded by these two genes. The sequence of toxin-coregulated pilus A subunit gene (tcpA) of the strain JS94484 was identical with that of strain N16961.

Conclusion: ig1, rstR and ig2 genes of nct-CTX(new)Phigenome are of a novel type, and their functions await further investigation.

Objective: To observe the effects of routine doses of benazepril combined with valsartan on congestive heart failure.

Methods: Totally 203 patients with congestive heart failure were randomized into Group A (receiving benazepril 20 mg/day), Group B (benazepril,10 mg/day plus valsartan, 80 mg/day), and group C (valsartan 160 mg/day) for different treatment protocols on the basis of routine therapy for heart failure with digitalis, diuretics and beta blockers. The cardiac functions and echocardiographical findings were evaluated before and after the treatments.

Results: All the patients showed improvement of NYHA class, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDd), left ventricular end-systolic dimension (LVESd) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (P<0.01), and the effect was better in group B than in group A (P>0.05), and both groups A and B had better results than group C (P<0.05). No serious adverse effects were found.

Conclusion: The combination of benazepril and valsartan at routine doses can be effective for treating congestive heart failure.

Objective: To observe the histological changes in the fibrotic and inflammatory tissues in response to interferon alpha treatment in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B.

Methods: Sixteen patients with chronic viral hepatitis B in S3-S4 stages established by pathological examination were treated with interferon alpha for 6-9 months, and the degree of liver fibrosis and inflammation were examined 3 times during the treatment. The expression of Fas, transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) and HBcAg in the liver tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry, and DNA fragmentation was examined by TUNEL assay. The levels of the serum markers for liver fibrosis and liver function were also measured.

Results: Patients with liver fibrosis in S3-S4 stages had high pathological expression of Fas and TGFbeta1 with severe DNA damage in the liver tissues. After 3 months of interferon therapy, the expression of Fas and TGFbeta1 were lowered (P<0.05), and further treatment till 3-9 months resulted in gradual decrease in the degree of hepatic fibrosis and cell apoptosis (P<0.05), with improved serum liver fibrosis indices and liver function.

Conclusion: Interferon alpha may alleviate liver fibrosis and suppress cell apoptosis in patients in S3-S4 stages after a 6- to 9-month continuous treatment.

Objective: To analyze Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) gene and FLT3 internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutation in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients of different immunological subtypes.

Methods: Polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) was used to detect FLT3 gene and FLT3/ITD mutation in 63 ALL cases.

Results: Among the 63 ALL cases, FLT3 gene was detected in 41 (61.5%) cases. The positivity rate of FLT3 gene in pre-pre B-lineage ALL, pre-B-ALL, B-lineage ALL and T-lineage ALL cases were 93.3% (14/15), 77.8% (14/18), 41.7% (5/12) and 28.6% (4/14), respectively. The positivity rate of FLT3 gene was significantly higher in pre-pre B-ALL/pre B-ALL subtypes (84.8%) than in B-ALL subtypes (41.7%, P<0.005), and the rate was significantly higher in B-ALL subtypes (73.3%) than in T-ALL subtypes (28.6%, P<0.001). Two cases (3.2%) were found to have FLT3/ITD mutation, which were also positive for myeloid antigen expression and diagnosed as acute mixed-lineage leukemia, showing leukocytosis and high percentage of bone marrow blast cells with poor prognosis.

Conclusions: FLT3 gene can be detected in both B-and T-lineage ALL patients, but more frequently in the former. In B-lineage ALL patients, FLT3 gene is more frequent in cases with undifferentiated than those with differentiated blast cells. FLT3/ITD is rarely detected in ALL patients and FLT3/ITD mutation detection might be helpful to identify the genotypes and evaluate the prognosis of acute leukemia.

Objective: To explore the expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) and matrix metalloproteinases in human abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) tissue.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization were employed to detect the protein and mRNA expression of u-PA, gelatinase A (MMP-2) and gelatinase B (MMP-9) in the tissue sections of 30 AAA specimens and 30 normal human abdominal aorta specimens.

Results: The expressions of u-PA and MMP-9 were mainly found in the macrophages in AAA tissue, but not in normal human abdominal aorta tissues. The expression of MMP-2 was found mainly in the smooth muscle cells in AAA tissues, but not in normal human abdominal aorta tissues.

Conclusion: u-PA produced by macrophages may immediately activate proMMP-2 and proMMP-9, which play a pivotal role in the formation and development of AAA.