Objectives To study the role of the kidney in the maintenance of metabolic alkalosis of critically ill patients during perioperative period.Methods The patients who had metabolic alkalosis in the surgical intensive care unite（SICU） from Nov 2004 to Feb 2005 were enrolled in the alkalosis group；and the control group were the perioperative patients in the department of hepatic surgery at the same time，those who had acid-base imbalance were excluded.The enrolled patients underwent routine tests and some parameters such as creatinine clearance rate（Ccr，to evaluate glomerular filtration rate），titratible acid，ammonium ion，urinary bicarbonate，net acid excretion were calculated.Results The Ccr of the alkalosis group and control group was（76.2±37.1）mL/min vs（98.5±31.9）mL/min，respectively（P=0.042） with a decrement of 22% in the alkalosis group.The titratible acid was（25.2±19.4）mmol/24 h vs（49.9±26.4）mmol/24 h，respectively（P=0.002）；the net acid excretion was（156.5±84.3） mmol/24 h vs（117.5±32.1）mmol/24 h，respectively（P=0.047）；the ammonium ion was（140.6±81.6） mmol/24 h vs（78.7±16.3）mmol/24 h，respectively（P=0.002）.The postoperative electrolytes of the alkalosis group and control group：[K+] was（3.51±0.67）mmol/L vs（4.14±0.59）mmol/L，respectively（P=0.002）；[Cl－] was（98.4±8.3）mmol/L vs（102.8±3.0）mmol/L，respectively（P=0.035）；[Ca2+] was（2.14±0.21）mmol/L vs（2.25±0.14）mmol/L，respectively（P=0.049）；[P] was（0.83±0.34）mmol/L vs（1.11±0.23）mmol/L，respectively（P=0.004）；[Na+] was（139.6±7.7）mmol/L vs（140.8±4.6）mmol/L，respectively（P=0.535）；[Mg2+] was（0.94±0.15）mmol/L vs（0.90±0.16）mmol/L，respectively（P=0.338）.Conclusions Decreased glomerular filtration rate and enhanced renal acidification function are the important factors that maintain the metabolic alkalosis during perioperative period.Potassium，chloride，calcium and phosphorus are decreased during metabolic alkalosis，while sodium and magnesium has no significant change.
Objective To investigate clinical characteristics of community acquired pulmonary crypyococcosis（PC）.Methods A total of 30 cases of PC diagnosed at Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University from Jan 2003 to Dec 2007 were retrospectively analysed.All cases were identified by pathological study.Results The patients consisted of 19 males and 11 females，with median age of 44 years（16 to 70 years），66.7% of whom without underlying deseases and with normal immune function.9 patients（30%） were asymptomatic，and 21 patients（70%） had respiratory and/or constitutional symptoms.The most common symptoms were dry cough（16.7%），expectoration（46.7%），fever（23.3%），chest pain（13.3%） and dyspnea on exertion（13.3%）.All symptoms were mild and often showed a self-limiting trend.The common imaging features were nodule and mass，either solitary or multiple（53.3%），infiltrates and consolidation（40%） or diffused and mixed lesions.Non-caseous granulomas was the main character of patholgical study（96.7%），in which 93.1% with multinucleated giant cells containing abundant vacuolus yeast forms with the periodic acid schiff（PAS） reaction and/or Grocott Gomori’s methenamine silver（GMS） staining postive.Only one case found Cryptococcus neoformans spores in biopsy tissue smear and another in sputum smear.16.7% of the patients had positive biopsy tissue cultures for Cryptococcus neoformans，and 3.3% were positive of sputum cultures.15 patients underwent latex agglutination test for pulmonary cryptococcosis，and 93.3% were positive.Conclusions Some immunocompetent healthy people may compromised with community acquired PC with mild symptoms or even not at all and heterogeneous imaging appearance.Pathology，etiology，and serology were valuable diagnostic tools.
Objective To determine if mesenchymal stem cells ( MSCs) could be reconstructed as a vehicle for angiopoietin-1 ( Ang1) gene therapy in lung injury. Methods MSCs were obtained from adult male inbred mice and cultured to passage four. The cells were identified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting ( FACS) analysis and cell differentiation detection. Lentiviral vectors contained GFP and Ang1 gene were conducted in 293T cells through three plasmids co-transfection method. Then MSCs were transduced with Ang1 gene efficiently through lentiviral vectors. The mRNA expression of Ang1 in MSCs was detected by RT-PCR before and after transfection. Also fluorescence from MSCs was detected by fluorescence microscope every day after transfection. Two hours after LPS inhalation, mice were infused via jugular veinwith normal saline ( NS group) , lentiviral vector carrying Ang1 ( Ang1 group) , lentiviral vector carrying GFP ( MSCs group) , and lentiviral vector carrying Ang1 /GFP ( MSCs-Ang1 group) , respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to compare the effects of MSCs-Ang1 on survival. And ectogenic MSCs origined lung cells were investigated in receipt mice. Results After passaged and purification,MSCs were confirmed to have the potential of differentiation. The lentiviral vectors carrying Ang1 and GFP were also identified. After transfection, the mRNA expression of Ang1 in MSCs was enhanced. Through the fluorescence microscope,MSCs get the most green fluorescence expression five days after the transfection when MOI was 20. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that MSCs-Ang1 infusion had improved survival rates of lung injury rats compared with the control, but it did not reach statistical significance ( P = 0. 066) . Cells expressing GFP in lung tissues can be observed after MSCs were transplanted in vivo. Conclusions MSCs expressing Ang1 high can be constructed through lentiviral vector transfer, and MSCs-origined cells can be detected in receipt lungs after transplantation. So MSCs may serve as a vehicle for gene therapy in lung injury.