Biomedical subjects

Z Jiao

Publications and source records attributed to Z Jiao.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1998

[The role of nitric oxide in hyperdynamic circulation in portal hypertensive rats].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in hyper-hemodynamics in portal hypertension, we investigated the effects of nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NMMA with or without L-arginine, the substrate for enzyme NO synthase on the systemic and splanchnic hemodynamics in portal hypertensive rats. METHOD: Ninety-seven male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: intrahepatic portal hypertension (IHPH, n = 23) by injection of CCl4, prehepatic portal hypertension (PHPH, n = 26) by stenosis of the portal vein, end-to-side portacaval shunt (PCS, n = 23), and sham-operated controls (SO, n = 25). Animals of each group were divided into three subgroups: systemic administration of L-NMMA (50 mg/kg BW, 1 ml), L-NMMA (50 mg/kg BW, 0.5 ml) plus L-arginine (30 mg/kg BW, 0.5 ml), and normal saline solution (1 ml). The radioactive microsphere method was used for hemodynamic study. RESULT: There was the characteristic of hyperdynamic circulatory state including increased cardiac output and splanchnic blood flow, decreased mean arterial blood pressure, total peripheral vascular resistance and splanchnic vascular resistance in IHPH, PHPH and PCS rats. The hyperdynamic circulatory state in IHPH, PHPH and PCS rats could be effectively reversed by L-NMMA to the resting values of hemodynamics in SO rats, but not the levels after administration of L-NMMA in SO rats, indicating that there is excessive production of NO in portal hypertensive and PCS rats. Administration of L-arginine counterbalanced the effects of L-NMMA on hyperdynamic circulatory state in portal hypertensive and PCS rats. CONCLUSION: NO is an important mediator of hyperdynamic circulation in portal hypertension.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Belief systems of the general public concerning the appropriate treatments for mental disorders.

A study was conducted to assess the belief systems of the general public concerning the appropriate treatments for mental disorders and correlates of these belief systems. The study was based on the results of a household survey of the general public in Australia, using a national random sample of 2,031 adults aged 18-74 years. Respondents were given a vignette describing either a person with depression or one with schizophrenia, and were asked for their opinions about the helpfulness of various professional and non-professional treatments for the person described. A principal components analysis of the helpfulness ratings gave three factors: a Medical factor with high loadings on all drug treatments (except Vitamins) and on Psychiatric ward and ECT; a Psychological factor with high loadings on Counsellor, Social Worker, Phone counselling, Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Psychotherapy and Hypnosis; and a Lifestyle factor with high loadings on Close family, Close friends, Naturopath, Vitamins, Physical activity and Get out more. The same factors emerged from ratings of the two vignettes. Mean scores on scales constructed from the items with high loadings showed that the public tend to have a negative view of medical treatments and a positive view of psychological and lifestyle ones. However, medical treatments were rated more negatively for depression than for schizophrenia, psychological treatments were rated more positively for schizophrenia, and lifestyle treatments more positively for depression. Age, sex and education of respondents showed few associations with scores on the scales, although the better educated were more in favour of psychological treatments for both depression and schizophrenia and were less opposed to medical treatments for schizophrenia. Respondents who had suffered from the symptoms described in the schizophrenia vignette were more negative towards medical treatments. These findings about public belief systems could have implications for the provision of treatment: where there is a discrepancy in belief system between the patient and the clinician there may be poor adherence to treatment.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Variance components for discordances.

Tests for biotyping isolates give a result that is classified as either positive or negative, indicative of growth or nongrowth of bacteria. The reproducibility of such tests is measured by the number of discordances in replicates of the same measurement. In this analysis the probability distribution of the number of discordances is estimated for each of several tests in the presence of possible random between-laboratory effects as well as random laboratory-test interactions, which are also estimated.

Analysis of Variance↗