Effects of atorvastatin in suppressing pulmonary vascular remodeling in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objective: To investigate the effects of atorvastatin calcium on pulmonary vascular remodeling, the authors explored the regulatory mechanism of Histone Deacetylation Enzyme-2 (HDAC2) in rats with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and provided a new direction for drug treatment in the progression of vascular remodeling.

Methods: Eighteen female SD rats were randomly divided into control (Group S1), COPD (Group S2), and atorvastatin calcium + COPD (Group S3) groups. A COPD rat model was established by passive smoking and intratracheal injection of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Pneumonia Complicated with Lower Extremity Atherosclerotic Occlusive Disease.

Chlamydia is a zoonotic pathogen that mainly infects poultry and pet birds. This Gram-negative obligate intracellular parasite also causes human psittacosis, the severity of which varies from mild flu-like symptoms to life-threatening severe pneumonia, including sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and multiple organ failure. Inhalation of aerosols from contaminated bird excreta through the respiratory tract is the main route of transmission to humans.

TGF-3 Induces Autophagic Activity by Increasing ROS Generation in a NOX4-Dependent Pathway.

Higher concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been associated with epithelial cell damage, cell shedding, and airway hyperresponsiveness. Previous studies have indicated that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-) mediates ROS production and NADPH oxidase (NOX) activity. In our previous study, we also observed that TGF-3 increases mucus secretion in airway epithelial cells in an autophagy-dependent fashion.

[Clinical analysis of 50 cases of serous cavity effusion related with paragonimiasis].

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of serous cavity effusion related with paragonimiasis, so as to improve the physician's ability of the clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: The clinical data of 50 cases of serous cavity effusion related with paragonimiasis diagnosed in a hospital in recent 3 years were collected and retrospectively analyzed.

Results: Among the 50 patients, there were 35 males and 15 females, and 35 children and 15 adults.

Development and validation of an LC/MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of shionone and epi-friedelinol in rat plasma for pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of Aster tataricus extract.

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was developed and validated using spinasterol as the internal standard (IS) for the simultaneous determination of shionone and epi-friedelinol in rat plasma. Plasma samples were pretreated using liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl ether. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a C18 column (100 × 2.

Mutation spectrum of the CFTR gene in Taiwanese patients with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens.

Background: Clinically affected cystic fibrosis (CF) patients present a spectrum of genital phenotypes ranging from normal fertility to moderately impaired spermatogenesis and congenital bilateral absence of vas deferens (CBAVD). Little is known about the CF incidence in the Taiwanese population. It has been shown that the CBAVD in men without clinical evidence of CF is associated with a high incidence of mutated CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) alleles.

[Comparison of NP and MVP regimen in treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer].

Background & Objective: Chemotherapy is the major treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the efficacy is not satisfactory. From January 1996 to December 2000, two chemotherapy regimen [NP: vinorelbine(NVB) + cisplatin(DDP); MVP: mitomycin (MMC) + vindesine(VDS) + cisplatin] have been used to treat 110 advanced NSCLC patients.