Search

The present study investigated the predictive values of urine paraquat (PQ) concentration, dose of poison, arterial blood lactate and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score in the prognosis of patients with acute PQ poisoning. A total of 194 patients with acute PQ poisoning, hospitalized between April 2012 and January 2014 at the First Affiliated Hospital of P.R. China Medical University (Shenyang, China), were selected and divided into survival and mortality groups. Logistic regression analysis, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and Kaplan-Meier curve were applied to evaluate the values of urine paraquat (PQ) concentration, dose of poison, arterial blood lactate and (APACHE) II score for predicting the prognosis of patients with acute PQ poisoning. Initial urine PQ concentration (C0), dose of poison, arterial blood lactate and APACHE II score of patients in the mortality group were significantly higher compared with the survival group (all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that C0, dose of poison and arterial blood lactate correlated with mortality risk of acute PQ poisoning (all P<0.05). ROC curve analysis suggested that the areas under the curve (AUC) values of C0, dose of poison, arterial blood lactate and APACHE II score in predicting the mortality of patients within 28 days were 0.921, 0.887, 0.808 and 0.648, respectively. The AUC of C0 for predicting early and delayed mortality were 0.890 and 0.764, respectively. The AUC values of urine paraquat concentration the day after poisoning (Csec) and the rebound rate of urine paraquat concentration in predicting the mortality of patients within 28 days were 0.919 and 0.805, respectively The 28-day survival rate of patients with C0 ≤32.2 μg/ml (42/71; 59.2%) was significantly higher when compared with patients with C0 >32.2 μg/ml (38/123; 30.9%). These results suggest that the initial urine PQ concentration may be the optimal index for predicting the prognosis of patients with acute PQ poisoning. Additionally, dose of poison, arterial blood lactate, Csec and rebound rate also have referential significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmacological studies have shown that the active components in Dendranthema morifolium exhibit protective effects against ischemia/reperfusion injury; however, its pharmacological action on blood vessels has not yet been investigated. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of the total flavones extracted from D. morifolium (Ramat.) Tzvel. cv. Hangju (FDM) on the vasocontraction and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The tension of rat thoracic aortic rings was measured using a mechanical force transducer attached to a recording system. FDM induced a dose-dependent relaxation of rings with endothelium pre-contracted by either phenylephrine (PE; 10-6 mol/l) or a high concentration of potassium chloride (KCl; 60 mmol/l). FDM did not significantly affect the vasorelaxant effects on mechanically removed endothelium. In endothelium-denuded aortic rings depolarized by 60 mmol/l KCl, FDM inhibited the contraction induced by Ca2+. FDM reduced the transient contraction caused by PE in a Ca2+-free solution, but did not affect the contraction induced by phorbol ester. Furthermore, FDM inhibited the proliferation of VSMCs with or without growth stimulation by insulin. In conclusion, that the vasorelaxation induced by FDM in rat aortic rings is not dependent on the endothelium but is mediated via a reduction of the influx of extracellular Ca2+ through the voltage-dependent and receptor-operated channels and via the inhibition of the release of intracellular Ca2+ in VSMCs. The anti-proliferative activity of FDM suggests that it may be beneficial in inhibiting atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]