The protective effects and underlying mechanisms of dapagliflozin on diabetes-induced testicular dysfunction / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Male diabetic individuals present a marked impairment in fertility; however, knowledge regarding the pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic strategies is unsatisfactory. The new hypoglycemic drug dapagliflozin has shown certain benefits, such as decreasing the risk of cardiovascular and renal events in patients with diabetes. Even so, until now, the effects and underlying mechanisms of dapagliflozin on diabetic male infertility have awaited clarification. Here, we found that dapagliflozin lowered blood glucose levels, alleviated seminiferous tubule destruction, and increased sperm concentrations and motility in leptin receptor-deficient diabetic db/db mice. Moreover, the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) antagonist exendin (9-39) had no effect on glucose levels but reversed the protective effects of dapagliflozin on testicular structure and sperm quality in db/db mice. We also found that dapagliflozin inhibited the testicular apoptotic process by upregulating the expression of the antiapoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) and inhibiting oxidative stress by enhancing the antioxidant status, including total antioxidant capacity, total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, as well as decreasing the level of 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). Exendin (9-39) administration partially reversed these effects. Furthermore, dapagliflozin upregulated the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) level in plasma and GLP-1R expression by promoting AKT8 virus oncogene cellular homolog (Akt) phosphorylation in testicular tissue. Exendin (9-39) partially inhibited Akt phosphorylation. These results suggest that dapagliflozin protects against diabetes-induced spermatogenic dysfunction via activation of the GLP-1R/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway. Our results indicate the potential effects of dapagliflozin against diabetes-induced spermatogenic dysfunction.

Advances in analytical methods for endogenous bile acids based on UPLC-MS/MS technology / 药学学报

Bile acids (BAs) are a group of endogenous steroid molecules that regulate lipid, glucose and energy metabolism. They play an important role in maintaining body homeostasis and physiological functions as key signaling molecules for host and gut microbial metabolism. The accurate characterization and quantification of BAs in vivo is of great importance in basic and clinical research. Over the past decades, enzymatic assay, enzyme-linked immunoassay, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), chromatography, and other related techniques have been developed and applied to the detection of BAs. The diverse structures of BAs, the existence of isomers and the complex matrix of biological samples pose great challenges for the detection of endogenous BAs. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) is a robust analytical technique that combines the rapid separation capacities of UPLC with the powerful structural identification capabilities of MS/MS, facilitating the more rapid separation, characterization and accurate quantitative of target analytes in biological samples. UPLC-MS/MS has been widely used in the quantitative analysis of BAs in recent years for its high selectivity, high sensitivity, and high accuracy. This paper summarized the biosynthetic pathways of BAs, sample pretreatment methods, common analytical detection techniques, and highlights the current status of the application of UPLC-MS/MS technology in the analysis of endogenous BAs over the past five years, to provide a reference for the accurate detection of endogenous BAs and further research development and application.

Ulinastatin alleviates early brain injury after traumatic brain injury by inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis

Purpose: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a major public health problem and cause of death. Ulinastatin (UTI), a serine protease inhibitor, has been reported to have an anti-inflammatory effect and play a role in immunoregulation and organ protection by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, oxidative stress and inflammation. However, the neuroprotective of UTI in TBI has not been confirmed. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the neuroprotection and potential molecular mechanisms of UTI in TBI-induced EBI in a C57BL/6 mouse model. Methods: The neurological score and brain water content were evaluated. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect neuroinflammatory cytokine levels, ROS and malondialdehyde detection to evaluate oxidative stress levels, and TUNEL staining and western blotting to examine neuronal damages and their related mechanisms. Results: Treatment with UTI markedly increased the neurological score; alleviated brain oedema; decreased the inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor a, interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6 and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) levels; inhibited oxidative stress; decreased caspase-3 and Bax protein expressions; and increased the Bcl-2 levels, indicating that UTI-mediated inhibition of neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis ameliorated neuronal death after TBI. The neuroprotective capacity of UTI is partly dependent on the TLR4/NF-kB/p65 signalling pathway. Conclusions: Therefore, this study reveals that UTI improves neurological outcomes in mice and reduces neuronal death by protecting against neural neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Ulinastatin alleviates early brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage by inhibiting oxidative stress and neuroinflammation via ROS/MAPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway

Purpose: Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is still a major public health problem, with high mortality and disability. Ulinastatin (UTI) was purified from human urine and has been reported to be anti-inflammatory, organ protective, and antioxidative stress. However, the neuroprotection of UTI in ICH has not been confirmed, and the potential mechanism is unclear. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the neuroprotection and potential molecular mechanisms of UTI in ICH-induced early brain injury in a C57BL/6 mouse model. Methods: The neurological score, brain water content, neuroinflammatory cytokine levels, oxidative stress levels, and neuronal damage were evaluated. Results: UTI treatment markedly increased the neurological score, alleviated brain edema, decreased the levels of the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6, and NF-κB, decreased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and upregulated the levels of glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and Nrf2. This finding indicated that UTI-mediated inhibition of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress alleviated neuronal damage after ICH. The neuroprotective capacity of UTI is partly dependent on the ROS/MAPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway. Conclusions: UTI improves neurological outcomes in mice and reduces neuronal death by protecting against neural neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.

Value of joint prediction model based on the modified systemic inflammatory response syndrome score for predicting mortality risk of patients with large area burns at early stage after admission / 中华烧伤杂志

Objective@#To investigate the predictive value of the joint prediction model based on the modified systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) score (hereinafter referred to as the joint prediction model) for the mortality risk of patients with large area burns within 24 hours after admission.@*Methods@#The clinical data of 158 patients [111 males, 47 females, aged 40 (28, 50) years] admitted to the Department of Burn Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University from January 2005 to January 2018, conforming to the study criteria, were analyzed retrospectively by the method of case-control study. The age, gender, total burn area, full-thickness burn area, injury cause, with or without inhalation injury, severity of inhalation injury, and tracheotomy condition of patients were recorded, and the modified SIRS score and the modified Baux score of patients were calculated. According to the final outcome, all patients were divided into survival group (n=123) and death group (n=35). The clinical data of patients between two groups, except for modified Baux score, were compared by chi-square test or Mann-Whitney U test to screen the death-related factors of patients. The indexes with statistically significant difference between the two groups were included in the multivariate logistic regression analysis to screen the independent risk factors related to the death of patients, and the prediction model was constructed by combining the modified SIRS score. The receiver′s operating characteristic curves of the modified SIRS score, the modified Baux score, and the joint prediction model of 158 patients were drawn to analyze their ability to predict death of patients. The area under curve (AUC) of the receiver′s operating characteristic and the sensitivity and specificity of optimal threshold were calculated, and the quality of AUC of the three prediction indexes was compared with Jonckheere-Terpstra test.@*Results@#(1) There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in the modified SIRS score, age, total burn area, full-thickness burn area, severity of inhalation injury, with or without inhalation injury, and tracheotomy condition of patients (Z=-4.356, -3.568, -5.291, -6.052, -4.720, χ2=12.967, 19.692, P<0.01). (2) The modified SIRS score, age, full-thickness burn area were the independent risk factors for the death of patients with large area burn (odds ratio=2.699, 1.069, 1.029, 95% confidence interval=1.447-5.033, 1.029-1.109, 1.005-1.054, P<0.05). (3) The AUC of modified SIRS score, the joint prediction model, and the modified Baux score for predicting death of 158 patients within 24 hours after admission were 0.730, 0.879, and 0.895 respectively (95% confidence interval=0.653-0.797, 0.818-0.926, 0.836-0.938, P<0.01). The sensitivities of the three optimal threshold values to death prediction were 54.3%, 91.4%, and 82.9% respectively, while the specificities were 81.3%, 76.4%, and 84.6% respectively. The AUC quality of the joint prediction model was similar to that of the modified Baux score (95% confidence interval=-0.057-0.088, P>0.05), and both of them were significantly better than that of the modified SIRS score (95% confidence interval=0.072-0.259, 0.023-0.276, P<0.05 or P<0.01).@*Conclusions@#Both the joint prediction model and the modified Baux score are considered to be good to predict the death rate of patients with large area burns at early stage after admission. However, the joint prediction model has better clinical practice value due to its advantage of simple scoring and easier access to data acquisition.

Epidemic situation and control strategy of malaria in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 2011 to 2018 / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To analyze the epidemic situation of malaria and explore the targeted control strategy in Guangxi from 2011 to 2018. Methods The malaria surveillance data were collected in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 2011 to 2018, and a descriptive method was employed to analyze the epidemiological features of the malaria cases. Results A total of 2 944 malaria cases were reported in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 2011 to 2018, including a case with local infection (0.03%) and 2 943 imported cases (99.97%). There were 2 933 cases (99.63%) positive for Plasmodium confirmed by laboratory testing, including 2 166 cases (73.86%) with P. falciparum malaria, 388 cases (13.23%) with P. ovale malaria, 276 cases (9.41%) with P. vivax malaria, 40 cases (1.36%) with P. malariae malaria and 62 cases (2.11%) with mixed infections, and 11 clinically diagnosed cases (0.37%). The malaria cases were distributed in 91 counties (districts) of 14 cities in Guangxi, with the largest number of cases found in Nanning City (2 515 cases, 85.43%). The malaria cases were originated from 29 countries in Africa (94.67%), 7 countries in Southeast Asia (5.10%), one country in South America (0.07%), 2 countries in South Asia and China (0.10%). In African countries, most malaria cases were from Ghana (1 947 cases, 66.13%), and in Southeast Asian countries, most cases were from Myanmar (75 cases, 2.55%). Most malaria cases were young men, and 2 899 cases (98.13%) were male, while 2 583 cases (87.74%) were at ages of 20 to 49 years. Gold washing and mining was the predominant occupation (2 561 cases, 86.99%), and the malaria cases were reported in each month across the year, with the largest number of cases detected in June (665 cases, 22.59%), while no season-specific distribution was found. There were 1 431 cases (48.61%) reported by disease control and prevention institutions, 1 511 cases (51.30%) reported by medical institutions, and 2 cases (0.07%) reported by inspection and quarantine institutions. During the period from 2011 to 2018, there were 6 deaths of imported malaria cases in Guangxi, and no secondary cases were reported. Conclusions The epidemic situation of local malaria has been effectively controlled in Guangxi; however, there is a great challenge for the management of overseas imported malaria. Strengthening the monitoring and management of migrant labors is the key to consolidate the achievements of malaria elimination.

Epidemic situation and control strategy of malaria in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 2011 to 2018 / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To analyze the epidemic situation of malaria and explore the targeted control strategy in Guangxi from 2011 to 2018. Methods The malaria surveillance data were collected in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 2011 to 2018, and a descriptive method was employed to analyze the epidemiological features of the malaria cases. Results A total of 2 944 malaria cases were reported in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 2011 to 2018, including a case with local infection (0.03%) and 2 943 imported cases (99.97%). There were 2 933 cases (99.63%) positive for Plasmodium confirmed by laboratory testing, including 2 166 cases (73.86%) with P. falciparum malaria, 388 cases (13.23%) with P. ovale malaria, 276 cases (9.41%) with P. vivax malaria, 40 cases (1.36%) with P. malariae malaria and 62 cases (2.11%) with mixed infections, and 11 clinically diagnosed cases (0.37%). The malaria cases were distributed in 91 counties (districts) of 14 cities in Guangxi, with the largest number of cases found in Nanning City (2 515 cases, 85.43%). The malaria cases were originated from 29 countries in Africa (94.67%), 7 countries in Southeast Asia (5.10%), one country in South America (0.07%), 2 countries in South Asia and China (0.10%). In African countries, most malaria cases were from Ghana (1 947 cases, 66.13%), and in Southeast Asian countries, most cases were from Myanmar (75 cases, 2.55%). Most malaria cases were young men, and 2 899 cases (98.13%) were male, while 2 583 cases (87.74%) were at ages of 20 to 49 years. Gold washing and mining was the predominant occupation (2 561 cases, 86.99%), and the malaria cases were reported in each month across the year, with the largest number of cases detected in June (665 cases, 22.59%), while no season-specific distribution was found. There were 1 431 cases (48.61%) reported by disease control and prevention institutions, 1 511 cases (51.30%) reported by medical institutions, and 2 cases (0.07%) reported by inspection and quarantine institutions. During the period from 2011 to 2018, there were 6 deaths of imported malaria cases in Guangxi, and no secondary cases were reported. Conclusions The epidemic situation of local malaria has been effectively controlled in Guangxi; however, there is a great challenge for the management of overseas imported malaria. Strengthening the monitoring and management of migrant labors is the key to consolidate the achievements of malaria elimination.

Clinical features and TTC21B genotype of a child with nephronophthisis type 12 / 中国当代儿科杂志

Nephronophthisis (NPHP) is a group of autosomal recessive tubulointerstitial cystic kidney disorders. This article reports a case of NPHP type 12 caused by TTC21B mutations. The girl had an insidious onset, with moderate proteinuria, renal dysfunction, stage 2 hypertension, situs inversus, and short phalanges when she visited the hospital for the first time at the age of 3 years and 6 months. The renal lesions progressed to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) before she was 4 years old. Urine protein electrophoresis showed glomerular proteinuria. There were significant increases in urinary β2-microglobulin and α1-microglobulin. Gene detection revealed two compound heterozygous mutations, c.1552T>C (p.C518R) and c.752T>G (p.M251R), in the TTC21B gene, which came from her father and mother respectively. The c.752T>G mutation was a novel mutation. It is concluded that besides typical tubular changes of NPHP, marked glomerular damage is also observed in patients with TTC21B gene mutations.

Differentiation and Treatment Thinking of Infertility from “Disease Prevention” to“Pregnancy Relying on Regulating Menstruation” / 中国中医药信息杂志

Ovarian function is the basis of female reproduction. Due to various causes of ovarian function, manstruation, menstrual cramps and infertility may appear. For infertility caused by ovaries, if the roots are traced, the roots may be low ovarian function. The idea of "disease prevention" should be throughout the treatment. "Pregnancy relying on regulating menstruation" theory should be followed, with a purpose to realize the early identification and early treatment.

Clinical effect of toric designed orthokeratology and regular spherical orthokeratology on myopia patients with high difference in corneal surface / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To explore whether there was a difference in clinical efficacy of toric design orthokeratology and regular spherical orthokeratology in myopia patients with high difference in corneal surface. <p>METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 48 moderate myopia patients(94 eyes), who went to the optometry center of Ruikang Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi University of Chinese Medical form July 2016 to December 2017. The height difference between the horizontal axis and the vertical axis away from the central cornea at 4mm was ≥30μm calculated in all patients with corneal topography. In Group A, 25 cases(48 eyes)with toric design orthokeratology, Group B(23 cases, 46 eyes)with regular spherical. After wearing orthokeratology 1wk, 1, 3mo, the uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA), the changes of corneal astigmatism in 3mm corneal center, the eccentricity of corneal treatment area were observed. <p>RESULTS: The UCVA was improved of both groups after operation, while was not significantly different between the two groups<i>(P</i>>0.05). The corneal regular astigmatism in 3mm corneal center were decreased after wearing orthokeratology 1wk, 1, 3mo, the changes were more obvious in Group A than Group B(<i>P</i><0.05). the eccentricity of corneal treatment area in Group A were less than Group B(<i>P</i><0.05). <p>CONCLUSION: For myopic patients with height difference between the horizontal axis and the vertical axis from the central cornea, the toric design orthokeratology is superior to regular spherical design orthokeratology in reducing astigmatism and stability of treatment area.

A study on epidemiological characteristic of measles in Wenzhou among children younger than 7 years / 预防医学

Objective To explore the risk factors for measles among children under 7 years old in Wenzhou, and to provideevidence for establishing scientific strategies on measles elimination. Methods A case-control study was carried out usingmeasles cases(age <7) reported between 2013 to 2015 from the Wenzhou Measles Surveillance System (WZMSS) . Asample of 198 cases were generated from the WZMSS confirmed cases of measles, and 371 controls were generated from theWZMSS excluded cases of measles. General characteristics and potential risk factors were collected, such as sex, age,original place of residence, length of stay in Wenzhou, history of hospital exposure and measles immunization history(i.e.receiving measles-containing vaccine) and so on. An univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used toassess the association between different factors and the incidence of measles , and to investigate the risk factors that influencethe incidence of measles. Results A total of 198 measles cases among children under age 7 were reported between 2013 to2015 in Wenzhou, taking up 67.58% of the total reported measles cases of WZMSS, and suggesting an average of annualincidence rate of 8.85/10 million. The incidence ratio of male to female was 1.57:1.00. Children of 6-8 months old had thehighest incidence rate of 151.66/10 million. The incidence rate among migrant children was 15.01/10 million and wassignificantly higher thanlocal children(P<0.05) . Univariate logistic regression showed that the incidence of measles weresignificantly associated with age, original place of residence, length of stay in Wenzhou, history of hospital exposure andmeasles immunization history(P<0.05) . Multivariate logistic regression showed that migrant children(OR =2.28, 95%CI:1.56-3.33), no measles immunization history(OR=3.83, 95%CI: 2.48-5.92) and having hospital exposure(OR =2.35, 95%CI: 1.58-3.47) were risk factors for the incidence of measles. Conclusion Children of 6-8 months old had thehighest incidence rate of measles. Migrant children, nomeasles immunization history and having hospital exposurecould increase the incidence rate of measles among children younger than 7.

Investigation report on an imported Zika virus case / 预防医学

Objective ToinvestigateanimportedcaseofZikavirusdiseaseinWenzhouCity,toexplorethesourceof infection,to analyse the problems during surveillance and diagnosis,and to provide evidence for prevention and control of Zikavirusdisease.Methods Byfieldinvestigation,medicalrecordsofthepatientwerecollectedandaface-to-face interview was conducted;blood,urine and saliva samples within 48 h were collected for RNA detection;assess the risk of diseasespreadingbymosquitosurveillanceandtakecontrolmeasures.Results Theonsetofthediseasewasonthepatient's way home from aboard on February 21st,2016.Before then,She lived in Paramaribo,the capital of Suriname in South America,which is an epidemic area of Zika virus.The patient had exposure history,with red,diffuse rash on her head,face, neck and limbs,and once was diagnosed as allergic eruption because of no fever.The two blood samples were both tested negative yet We detected urine and saliva samples showed positive.With the evidence above,the patient was finally diagnosed as an imported Zika virus case.The spreading risk of this case was low due to the low temperature.Conclusion there may be cases without fever or with blood sample tested RNA negative.As the weather gets warmer,missed diagnosis should be aware of,or the risk of spreading through mosquitos would increase.Therefore,in order to further improvement should lie in mosquito control and disease surveillance.

Propofol pretreatment combined with umbilical blood mesenchymal stem cell transplantation improves cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injuries / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:As propofol has a neuroprotective effect, and umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cel s have a high differentiation potential, their combination wil have a better therapeutic effect on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. OBJECTIVE:To study the effect of propofol pretreatment combined with umbilical blood mesenchymal stem cel transplantation on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. METHODS:Sixty-three Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into model, propofol, and combined group (n=21 per group). Rat models of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury were made using ligation of the middle cerebral artery occlusion in the three groups. Rats in the combined group were given 100 mg/kg propofol injection at 1 day before injury and injection of umbilical blood mesenchymal stem cel s via the tail vein (0.5 mL, 2×109/L). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the model group, the neurological function was improved significantly in the propofol and combined group, especial y in the latter one, presenting with a remarkable mitigation in brain injury and an increased level of survivn mRNA in the rat hippocampus. The content of serum malondialdehyde was lower but the activity of superoxide dismutase was higher in the combined group compared with the propofol group. These findings indicate that propofol pretreatment combined with umbilical blood mesenchymal stem cel transplantation has better therapeutic effects than propofol pretreamtnet alone for improving cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Semi-quantitative risk assessment on local transmission of Dengue fever caused by introduced cases / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the risk of local transmission of Dengue caused by introduced cases with semi-quantitative method in 2015 in Zhejiang Province.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Risk indexes of local transmission of Dengue caused by introduced cases were reviewed. The weights of indexes were computed by analytic hierarchy process and further used to generate absolute risk values by multiplying indexes. Moreover, comprehensive indexes were computed to describe relative risk by combining analytic hierarchy process and TOPSIS methods.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Four primary indexes and 19 secondary indexes were identified for risk assessment of local transmission of Dengue. The indexes with maximum and minimum weight were the number of immigration from countries with Dengue patients (weight value: 0.0678) and density of population (weight value: 0.0371) respectively. All CR values, statistics for measuring consistency of score matrix, were less than 0.1 (minimum: 0.000, maximum: 0.0922, average: 0.0251). The absolute risk of Zhejiang Province was within the range of 0.397-0.504 (the full score was 1.0). The risk orders of 11 municipalities sorted by relative comprehensive indexes and absolute risk values methods were similar. The three highest municipalities were Hangzhou, Wenzhou and Ningbo and the ranges of absolute risk value were 0.387-0.494, 0.404-0.511 and 0.392-0.499 respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results provides scientific basis for preventing and controlling Dengue in Zhejiang Province. The indexes and weights may be used to assess risk of Dengue in future. In addition, the semi-quantitative method constructed in this study would be a significant reference for risk assessment of public health in emergencies.</p>

Biomechanical and histological research on in vivo engineered tendon with tendon synovial sheaths in Roman chicken / 医用生物力学

Objective To explore the role of tendon synovial sheaths in tendon regeneration in vivo. Methods Thirty-six Roman chicken were randomly divided into Group A and B, with 18 chicken in each group. In Group A, the synovial sheaths of the deep flexor tendons in the left middle toes were separated from the up, right and down side without cutting off the tendons themselves. The allograft decellularized tendons were coated with synovial sheaths which were detached partly and fixed on the left side of the normal deep flexor tendons in the middle toes of the left foot. In Group B, the allograft decellularized tendons were directly implanted on the left side of the deep flexor tendons without coating of synovial sheaths. The normal deep flexor tendons from the right foot were used as the control group. The maximum loads and elastic modulus of the tendons at 4th, 8th and 12th week were obtained by mechanical testing, and HE staining was conducted to observe histological changes of the tendons. Results The maximum load at 8th and 12th week and elastic modulus at 4th, 8th and 12th week in Groups A were greater than those in Group B, with significant differences (P<0.05). Group A showed more densely deposited matrices and longitudinally aligned collagen fibers than Group B, and inflammatory cells and fibrous tissues could hardly be found in Group A. In Group B, the collagen fibers were decreased gradually, with disordered alignment. Furthermore, more inflammatory cells infiltration and hyperplasia of fibrous tissues were found in Group B. Conclusions The synovial sheaths can contribute to tendon regeneration, indicating that a proper environment in vivo plays an important role in the engineered tendons. This study has a positive effect on finding proper tendon replacements for patients with tendon deficiency.

Diagnostic value of pulmonary tuberculosis to detect the anti mycobacterium tuberculosis antibody in Serum by the mycobacterium tuberculosis protein Chip and the M.tuberculosis Antibody Colloidal Gold Diagnostic Kit / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective To evaluate the Diagnostic value of pulmonary tuberculosis to detecting the anti Mycobacterium tuberculosis antibody with serum samples by the mycobacterium tuberculosis protein Chip and the M.tuberculosis Antibody Colloidal Gold Diagnostic Kit.Methods Application of mycobacterium tuberculosis protein Chip and the M.tuberculosis Antibody Colloidal Gold Diagnostic Kit to detecting the anti Mycobacterium tuberculosis antibody with serum samples,These serum samples are from 110 cases of tuberculosis patients,60 cases of lung disease and 60 cases of healthy people.Results Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein chip sensitivity was 73.6％ (81/110),the specificity was 93.3％ (112/120),the diagnostic kit for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antibody colloidal gold assay sensitivity was 64.5％ (71/110)and a specificity of 91.7％ (110/120),both the sensitivity and specificity compared to no significant difference (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions The Tuberculosis protein chip and the M.tuberculosis Antibody Colloidal Gold Diagnostic Kit to detect serum Mycobacterium tuberculosis antibodies for diagnosis of TB has a high sensitivity and specificity.Both can be used for the auxiliary diagnosis of tuberculosis.

Functional polymorphisms in CYP2C19 & CYP3A5 genes associated with decreased susceptibility for paediatric tuberculosis.

Background & objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) bacilli ingested by macrophages evade host immune responses by multiple mechanisms including the inhibition of apoptosis. As the cytochrome-P-450 system (CYP) contributes to apoptosis it has been suggested that genetic variation in CYP may be associated with susceptibility to TB infection. This study was carried out to evaluate cytochrome P-450 polymorphisms in Chinese Han children and to investigate the effect of these polymorphisms in paediatric TB. Methods: Frequencies for the CYP2C19, CYP3A4, CYP3A5 and CYP2E1 mutated alleles and genotypes were compared between 142 Chinese paediatric TB patients and 150 non-infected controls by real time PCR genotyping on peripheral leukocyte DNA. Results: CYP2C19 (636 G>A, rs4986893) A allele and AG genotype were associated with decreased susceptibility to TB (P = 0.006, OR= 0.33, 95% CI: 0.15-0.76; and P = 0.005, OR =0.31, 95% CI: 0.14-0.72 respectively), as were the CYP3A5 (6986A>G, rs776746) G allele and particularly homozygous GG (recessive mode) genotype (P = 0.004, OR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.43-0.85; and P=0.002, OR=0.47, 95% CI: 0.29-0.76). Interpretation & conclusions: The data suggested that CYP2C19 and CYP3A5 polymorphisms affect susceptibility to paediatric TB. Further studies are indicated to confirm and elucidate these observations.

Bone cortex segmentation of CT images based on BP neural network / 医用生物力学

Objective To measure the bone mass, the shape of bones and the bone strength through segmentation of the bone cortex in CT images, and to calculate the corresponding parameters in histomorphometry. Methods CT images were first interpreted through the DCMTK to draw information of the corresponding images, then the OpenCV are used for preprocessing on the basis of ROI (range of interest), and the texture features of the image were extracted as the input vector. Results of the manual segmentation were used as the mentor signal to train BP neural network, which were then used for segmenting the bone cortex in a sequence of CT images. Results of the segmentation were further processed and displayed. Results The segmentation efficiency of the bone cortex in CT images through neural network met the needs of the practical application. The separation results showed an obvious shape of the bone cortex with easy distinguishing from the surrounding tissues, which could satisfy the demand of the clinical diagnosis. Conclusions When the texture features of the bone cortex are evident, this method can achieve a more satisfying segmentation effect with smooth contours, high segmentation accuracy and strong adaptability. With less artificial intervention in the process of the image segmentation, this method can be used for batch CT image segmentation of a complete set of the bone cortex. The inadequacy of the method lies in relatively longer training time demanded for the neural network training.

Pathological observation of lung injury in experimental animals induced by non-ferrous metal (tin) dusts / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the characters of lung injury induced by tin dusts and to provide the diagnosis evidence of tin pneumoconiosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: the group exposed to tin dusts from smelting workshop, the group exposed to tin dusts from tin refining workshop, the positive control group exposed to standard quartz dusts and the negative control group exposed to saline. The pathological changes of rat lungs were observed dynamically.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In rats exposed to tin dusts, on the 30th day after exposure to tin dusts, the scattered hoar tip size of the spots in surface and section of the lungs were observed, the scattered focal granulomatous inflammation around the small bronchi and dust particles in lung tissue were observed under microscope; on the 90th day after exposure to tin dusts, the granulomatous inflammation increase, the fibroblasts proliferation, collagen fibers formation and positive VG staining were found. There were significant differences, as compared with positive or negative controls (P < 0.05). These pathological changes were basically the characters of specific pathological changes in early tin pneumoconiosis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Non-ferrous metal tin dusts can induce the specific lung injury (granuloma formation) in lung tissue of rats exposed to tin dusts, which fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of specific pathological changes in early tin pneumoconiosis.</p>

Correlation between the ratio of serum vascular endothelial growth factor/endostatin and childhood acute leukemia / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the correlation between the ratio of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/endostatin (ES) and childhood acute leukemia(AL).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serum levels of VEGF and ES were measured using ELISA in 35 children with acute AL before and after chemotherapy. The ratio of VEGF/ES was calculated. Thirty healthy children served as the control group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The serum levels of VEGF (196 ± 66 pg/mL vs 29 ± 10 pg/mL) and ES (35 ± 7 ng/mL vs 19 ± 4 ng/mL) in the AL group before chemotherapy were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). The ratio of VEGF/ES in the AL group before chemotherapy was significantly higher than that in the control group (6.7 ± 3.0 vs 1.6 ± 0.7; P<0.01). In 20 children with AL who achieved complete remission, the serum levels of VEGF and ES and the VEGF/ES ratio were reduced after chemotherapy (83 ± 35 pg/mL, 27 ± 5 ng/mL, 3.1 ± 1.3, respectively; P<0.01), although the serum levels of VEGF and ES were still higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). The VEGF/ES ratio in CR patients was not significantly different from that in the control group. The serum levels of VEGF (r=0.301, P=0.045) and the VEGF/ES ratio (r=0.411, P=0.015) were positively correlated with the count of blast cells in juvenile bone marrow in 35 children with AL before chemotherapy.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Serum VEGF and ES levels are associated with the development of childhood AL. The VEGF/ES ratio can be used to evaluate the disease progression in children with AL.</p>