Effect of acupuncture and estazolam on episodic memory and sleep structure in patients with chronic insomnia disorder: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the effect on chronic insomnia disorder (CID) and influences on episodic memory and sleep structure between acupuncture and estazolam tablets.@*METHODS@#A total of 140 CID patients were randomized into a meridian-point group (46 cases, 1 case dropped off), a non-meridian-and-non-acupoint group (47 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a medication group (47 cases, 2 cases dropped off). In the meridian-point group, Baihui (GV 20), Shenmen (HT 7), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zhaohai (KI 6) and Shenmai (BL 62) were selected and the routine acupuncture was applied. In the non-meridian-and-non-acupoint group, the needling technique was same as the meridian-point group. Acupuncture was given once daily for 4 weeks in the above two groups. In the medication group, estazolam tablets were administered orally, taken 1 to 2 mg per night, consecutively for 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, the changes in the following indexes were observed in each group, i.e. the score of insomnia severity index (ISI), the score of auditory verbal memory test (AVMT) and the relevant indexes of sleep structure [total sleep time (TST), sleep onset latency (SOL), wake after sleep onset (WASO), sleep efficiency (SE) and the percentage of non rapid eye movement phase 1, 2 and 3 (N1, N2 and N3) and rapid eye movement time (REM) in TST].@*RESULTS@#After treatment, ISI scores were reduced in the meridian-point group and the medication group (<0.01), the score in the meridian-point group was lower than the medication group and the non-meridian-and-non- acupoint group respectively (<0.01) and that in the medication group was lower than the non-meridian-and-non-acupoint group (<0.01). After treatment, the score of each of immediate recall, short-term delayed recall, long-term delayed recall and delayed recognition of AVMT was increased in the meridian-point group and the medication group respectively (<0.01, <0.05) and the score of each item of AVMT in the meridian-point group was higher than the medication group and the non-meridian-and-non-acupoint group respectively (<0.01, <0.05). The scores of immediate memory and delayed recognition in the medication group were higher than the non-meridian-and-non-acupoint group respectively (<0.01). After treatment, SOL, WASO and N1% were all reduced (<0.01) and TST, SE, N3% and REM% were all increased (<0.01, <0.05) in the meridian-point group and the medication group, N2% in the meridian-point group was reduced (<0.01). After treatment, N1% and N2% in the meridian-point group were lower than the medication group (<0.01) and N3% and REM% were higher than the medication group (<0.01). After treatment, TST, SE and N3% in the meridian-point group and the medication group were all higher than the non-meridian-and-non-acupoint group respectively (<0.01, <0.05) and SOL, WASO and N1% were lower than the non-meridian-and-non-acupoint group respectively (<0.01). REM% in the meridian-point group was also higher than the non-meridion-and-non-acupoint group (<0.01), and N2% in the meridian-point group was also lower than the non-meridian-and-non-acupoint group (<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Compared with estazolam, acupuncture much better improves sleep quality and episodic memory in patients with chronic insomnia disorder, which is possibly related to the regulation of sleep structure of patients in treatment with acupuncture.

Electroacupuncture Delays Cartilage Degeneration by Modulating Nuclear Factor-κB Signaling Pathway / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To illustrate the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on knee osteoarthritis (OA).@*METHODS@#Twenty-seven six-month-old New Zealand white rabbits were allocated into three groups in accordance with a random number table: normal group (no surgery-induced OA; without treatment), model group (surgery-induced OA; without treatment) and EA group [surgery-induced OA; received treatment with EA at acupoints Dubi (ST 35) and Neixiyan (EX-LE 5), 30 min twice a day]. After eight consecutive weeks of treatment, the histopathological alterations in cartilage were observed using optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, cartilage degeneration was evaluated by modified Mankin's score principles, the synovial fluid concentration of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the protein expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, MMP-3, IκB kinase-β (IKK-β), nuclear factor of α light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor α (IκB-α) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 were quantified by Western blot analysis.@*RESULTS@#EA treatment significantly improved cartilage structure arrangement and reduced cellular degeneration. The IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and MMP-3 of synovial fluid in the EA-treated group were significantly decreased compared with the model group (all P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, MMP-3, IKK-β and NF-κB p65 protein expressions in cartilage of EA-treated group were significantly decreased (all P<0.01), whereas IκB-α expression was significantly up-regulated (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#EA treatment may delay cartilage degeneration by down-regulating inflammatory factors through NF-κB signaling pathway, which may, in part, explain its clinical efficacy in the treatment of knee OA.

BM-MSCs from Wuzhishan mini-pigs delay the progress of renal fibrosis induced by chronic kidney disease through autocrine hepatocyte growth factor in vitro / 中南大学学报(医学版)

To isolate bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) and establish the model of chronic kidney disease (CKD) of Wuzhishan (WZS) mini-pig, and to study the repairment effect of BM-MSCs on CKD-induced renal fibrosis in vitro.
 Methods: Density gradient method was used to isolate and culture BM-MSCs. The cells were verified by morphology, phenotype, differentiation and so on. The left partial ureteral obstruction (LPUUO) was used to establish the CKD model, which was evaluated by B-ultrasound, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), HE and Masson staining. The cells were divided into 3 groups, the tissue plus BM-MSCs group, the tissue group, and the BM-MSCs group, respectively. Seven days later, the supernatants were collected to observe the changes of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) cumulative release. HE and Masson staining was used to observe the changes of renal tissue.
 Results: The isolated BM-MSCs possessed the features as follow: fibroblast-like adherent growth; positive in CD29 and CD90 expression while negative in CD45 expression; osteogenic induction and alizarin red staining were positive; alcian blue staining were positive after chondrogenic induction. Twelve weeks after the operation of LPUUO, B-ultrasound showed the thin renal cortical with pelvis effusion; SPETCT showed the left kidney delayed filling and renal impairment. The accumulation of HGF in the tissue plus BM-MSCs group was significantly higher than that in the tissue alone group at the 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th day, respectively (P<0.05). HE staining showed the different degree of renal lesions between the tissue plus BM-MSCs+CKD group and the tissue alone group, which was aggravated with the time going. Masson staining showed that the cumulative optical density of blue-stained collagen fibers in tissue plus BM-MSCs group was significantly lower than that in the tissue group at the 5th to 7th day (P<0.05).
 Conclusion: BM-MSCs from WZS mini-pig can inhibit or delay the progress of CKD-induced renal fibrosis through autocrine HGF in vitro.

Research Progress Related to Infection and the Pathogenesis of Bronchial Asthma / 沈阳医学院学报

The pathogenesis of bronchial asthma ( asthma) is not yet clear. Asthma is characterized by chronic airway inflamma?tion, airway hyperresponsiveness, airway remodeling and mucus hypersecretion, which are induced by eosinophils, mast cells, T lymphocytes, neutrophils, smooth muscle cells, and airway epithelial cells. Respiratory infection plays an important role in the inci?dence of asthma, but the pathogenesis can not be explained clearly. So the relationship between respiratory infection and asthma is important. This will provide a new way of early prevention and treatment of asthma.

Differentiation of mild from moderate liver fibrosis with 256-slice CT perfusion imaging / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To assess the value of CT perfusion imaging in differentiation of mild from moderate liver fibrosis .Methods 18 patients with mild liver fibrosis (F1 phase) and 21 ones with moderate fibrosis (F2 and F3 phase) confirmed by liver biopsy were analyzed ,and all patients underwent the liver 256‐slice CT perfusion imaging .The differences in the CT parameters including hepatic arterial perfusion (HAP) ,portal venous perfusion (PVP) ,total liver perfusion (TLP) and time to peak (TTP) between dif‐ferent fibrosis were analyzed .ROC curve was used to evaluate the ability of perfusion indexes to distinguish mild from moderate liver fibrosis ,then the maximum Youden index was selected as a cutoff point to calculate the sensitivity and specificity .Results Compared with the mild fibrosis ,the TTP [(43 .86 ± 13 .41)s vs (37 .84 ± 9 .97)s ,P=0 .034)] in liver with moderate fibrosis was significantly increased .However ,no differences in the HAP ,PVP and TLP were found .The ROC curve analysis showed that a TTP threshold of 41 .7 s allowed discrimination of mild from moderate fibrosis with a sensitivity of 72 .7% and a specificity of 75% .Conclusion 256‐slice CT perfusion imaging can reflect the hemodynamic changes of liver fibrosis ,and the TTP may help to discriminate mild from moderate fibrosis .

Research propress of co-culture system of osteoblast with osteoclast and its applications / 中国骨伤

Osteoclasts and osteoblasts are not exist alone,while communicating with each other through direct contact, diffusible paracrine factors and cell-bone matrix interaction. Co-culture system of osteoblast with osteoclast,including direct co-culture and indirect co-culture. It should be according to the ratio of osteoclasts and osteoblasts under the pathology, choosing the same species. Compared with lonely culture of osteoblasts or osteoclasts,co-culture system is much closer to the microenvironment in vivo. It benefits to explain the interactions between osteoblasts and osteoclasts, exploring molecular communication in bone diseases. It was mainly used to investigate the pharmacological mechanism of herbal and western medicine in bone remodeling. Some osteoporosis drugs (such as epimedium,sanchi, fructus psoraleae, ranelate strontium) not only promoted osteoblastic bone formation, but also inhibited osteoclastic bone resorption in the system,so as to balance bone homeostasis. At the same time,it has been used to study medical physics and assess biomedical materials in recent years. Considerably,the co-cultrue system will be used to study the subchondral bone remodeling and its pharmacological mechanism of herbal and western medicine in osteoarthritis.

Analysis of death causes of 345 cases with HIV/AIDS in Guangdong area / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the death causes of 345 cases with HIV/AIDS in Guangdong area.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The situations of 345 hospitalized death cases with HIV/AIDS were conducted by retrospective analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1)There were total 3406 hospitalized cases with HIV/AIDS in a hospital from January 2001 to December 2011 and 345 cases died, the fatality rate was 10. 13%. Since 2005 the introduction of free anti-viral treatment, the fatality rate of HIV/AIDS declined. The fatality rate of the patients whose CD4+ T lymphocyte counts <200 cells/microl was 14.61% (299/2046) and it was significantly higher than that of patients whose CD4 T lymphocyte counts >or=200 cells/microl (P <0.01). (2) 99.42% of the death cases had more than one kind of opportunistic infections (OI) and there were 924 cases of OI totally. 84. 64% of OI related to the death directly. Fungal infection was the most common in OI, followed by bacterial infection. Most OI occurred in the lungs, mouth, other systemic disseminated diseases, gastrointestine, central nerver system, septicemia, skin. The AIDS defining opportunistic infections such as several pneumonia, disseminated penicilliosis marneffei and CNS infections accounted for 29.65%. Other factors that caused HIV/AIDS death included opportunistic tumors, HIV related disease and non AIDS-related disease accounted for 15.36%. No accepted effective highly active antiretroviral therapy (HARRT) also constituted factors of death. Among cases which accepted HARRT treatment, only 6.96% had the period of treatment over three months.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The fatality rate of end-stage AIDS patients was high and the opportunistic infections was the most important cause of death. Early diagnosis and treatment for opportunistic infections, timely effective HARRT were the key to improve the quality of life of AIDS patients.</p>

Effect of swimming exercise on the expression of apelin and its receptor in pulmonary tissues of rats with hypoxic pulmonary hypertension / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of swimming exercise on the expression of apelin and its receptor (APJ) system in pulmonary tissues of rats with pulmonary hypertension induced by hypoxia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-five male SD rats were randomly divided into control group, hypoxia group (seven-week) and swimming group (four-week swimming group after three-week hypoxia). The animal model of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension was established by exposing the rats to isobaric hypoxic chamber (8 h/d, 6 d/w). The rats of swimming group swam 60 min/day, 7 d/week for 4 weeks after three-week hypoxia. The mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) and the mean carotid arterial pressure (mCAP) were measured by either right or left cardiac catheterization, and the weight ratio of right ventricule/left ventricle plus septum [RV/(LV + S)] were calculated. The Masson's trichrome stained lung specimens were used by light microscope to examine the vessel wall area/total area (WA/TA), vessel cavity area/total area (CA/TA) and media thickness of pulmonary arterioles (PAMT). Meanwhile, apelin/ APJ expressions were determined by Western blot and immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) mPAP and RV/(LV + S) of hypoxia group were higher than those of control group by 73.6% and 31.2% (P < 0.01), and mPAP and RV/(LV + S) of swimming group were lower than those of hypoxia group by 21.1%and 8.9 % (P < 0.05), respectively. (2) Masson's trichrome staining revealed that WA/TA and PAMT of hypoxia group were higher than those of control group by 70.8% and 102%. However, WA/TA and PAMT of swimming group were lower than those of hypoxia group by 24.8% and 40.1% (all P < 0.01), respectively. CA/TA of hypoxia group was lower than that of control group by 15.1%, and CA/TA of swimming group was lower than that of hypoxia group by 10.3% (all P < 0.01). (3) Compared with control group, hypoxia group showed up-regulated apelin expression and down-regulated APJ expression in pulmonary tissues (all P < 0.01). Compared with hypoxia group, swimming group showed decreased apelin expression and elevated APJ expression in pulmonary tissues (all P < 0.01). (4) Apelin localized mainly in intracytoplasm of inflammatory cell and tunica adventitia of vessel, and APJ were in vascular intima and tunica externa and plasmalemma of inflammatory cell.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The improving effect of swimming exercise on hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in rats could be mediated by regulating the pulmonary apelin/APJ system.</p>

Analysis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) subtypes in HIV/HCV co-infected and HCV mono-infected individuals in Guangdong province / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the transmission routes, genotypes/subtypes distribution and genetic character of HCV in HIV/HCV co-infected and HCV mono-infected individuals in Guangdong Province.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Reverse transcription (RT) nested PCR was performed to amplify the HCV NS5B gene region from 95 HIV/HCV co-infected and 99 HCV mono-infected individuals lived in Guangdong province. The PCR products were then sequenced for HCV subtyping. Genetic analysis was done by MEGA4 software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) HIV/HCV co-infected individuals infected HCV mostly through injection drug use (IDU, 78.9%), the HCV subtypes were identified as 6a (53.7%), 3a (17.9%), 1b (15.8%), 3b (11.6%) and 1a (1.0%) respectively, the genetic distance within subtype 1b was longer than those within other subtypes, the predominant HCV subtype in HIV/HCV co-infected individuals infected through IDU was 6a (60.0%). (2) HCV mono-infected individuals infected HCV mostly through blood or blood products transfusions (80.8%), the HCV subtypes were identified as 1b (67.7%), 6a (17.2%), 3a (6.1%), 2a (5.0%), 3b (2.0%), 4a (1.0%) and 5a (1.0%) respectively, the genetic distance within subtype 1b was also longer than those within other subtypes, the predominant HCV subtype in HCV mono-infected individuals infected through blood or blood products transfusions was 1b (76.2%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The diversity of HCV subtypes in HIV/HCV co-infected and HCV mono-infected individuals in Guangdong Province was high, both the major transmission route and HCV subtype between HIV/HCV co-infected individuals and HCV mono-infected individuals were different.</p>

Experimental study on the suppression of sodium nitroprussiate-induced chondrocyte apoptosis by Tougu Xiaotong Capsule (透骨消痛胶囊)-containing serum / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the mechanism of action of Tougu Xiaotong Capsule (透骨消痛胶囊, TGXTC) ex vivo in suppressing chondrocyte (CD) apoptosis induced by sodium nitroprussiate (SNP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty New Zealand rabbits, 2 months old, were randomized by lottery into five groups, six in each: the blank group treated with saline, the positive control group treated with Zhuanggu Guanjie Pill (壮骨关节丸, 70 mg/kg), and the three experimental groups, EGA, EGB, and EGC, treated with low dose (35 mg/kg), moderate dose (70 mg/kg), and high dose (140 mg/kg) of TGXTC, respectively. All treatments were administered via gastrogavage twice a day for 3 days. Arterial blood was collected from the abdominal aorta and drug or drug metabolites-containing serum was prepared. CDs obtained from knee joints of 16 four-week-old New Zealand rabbits were cultured to the third passage and confirmed by toluidine blue staining. SNP of various final concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mmol/L) was used to induce CD apoptosis, and the dosage-effect relationship of SNP in inducing CD apoptosis was determined. Serum samples from the blank, control, and three dosages of TGXTC-treated rabbits were tested in the CD culture in the presence of SNP. Cell apoptosis was determined by Hoechst 33342 staining, viability of CDs was quantified by MTT, CD apoptosis rate was determined by annexin V-FITC/PI staining, levels of p53 and Bcl-2 mRNA expression in CDs were determined with RT-PCR, and contents of caspase-3 and caspase-9 proteins were determined by colorimetry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CD apoptosis was induced by SNP at all concentrations tested and in a dose-dependent manner. The SNP concentration of 1 mmol/L and treatment duration of 24 h appeared to be optimal and were selected for the study. Serum samples from the positive control rabbits and from the two higher doses of TGXTC-treated rabbits showed reduction of SNP-induced CD apoptosis, decrease in p53 mRNA expression, inhibition of catalytic activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9, and increase in Bcl-2 mRNA expression when compared with the serum from the blank group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TGXTC-containing sera antagonized SNP-induced CD apoptosis and the molecular basis for the action was associated with up-regulation of Bcl-2, down-regulation of p53 expression, and inhibition of caspase-3 and caspase-9 catalytic activities.</p>

Anticolchicine cytotoxicity enhanced by Dan Gua-Fang, a Chinese herb prescription in ECV304 in mediums / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of anticolchicine cytotoxicity of Dan Gua-Fang, a Chinesea Chinese), a Chinese herbal compound prescription on endothelial cells of vein (ECV304) cultivated in mediums of different glucose concentrations as well as the proliferation of those cells in the same conditions, in order to reveal the value of Dan Gua-Fang in preventing and treating endothelial damage caused by hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The research was designed as three stages. The growing state and morphological changes were observed when ECV304 were cultivated in the culture mediums, which have different glucose concentrations with or without Dan Gua-Fang and at the same time with or without colchicine.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) Dan Gua-Fang at all concentrations reduced the floating cell population of ECV304 cultivated in hyperglycemia mediums. (2) Dan Gua-Fang at all concentrations and hyperglycemia both had a function of promoting "pseudopod-like" structure formation in cultivated ECV304, but the function was not superimposed in mediums containing both hyperglycemia and Dan Gua-Fang. (3) Colchicine reduced and even vanished the "pseudopod-like" structure of the endotheliocyte apparently cultivated in mediums of hyperglycemia or with Dan Gua-Fang. The "pseudopod-like" structure of the endotheliocyte emerged quickly in Dan Gua-Fang groups after colchicine was removed, but it was not the case in hyperglycemia only without Dan Gua-Fang groups. (4) Dan Gua-Fang reduced the mortality of cells cultivated in mediums containing colchicine. The cell revived to its normal state fast after colchicine was removed.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Dan Gua-Fang has the functions of promoting the formation of cytoskeleton and fighting against colchicine cytotoxicity.</p>

Effect of compound Polygonum multiflorum extract on Alzheimer's disease / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical effect of compound Polygonum multiflorum extract on Alzheimer's disease (AD).@*METHODS@#We collected 209 AD patients, among whom 120 were treated with compound Polygonum multiflorum extract as a treatment group, 60 were treated with Polygonum multiflorum extract as a Chinese herb control group, and 29 were treated with Naofukang as a western medicine control group. The scores for the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Ability of Daily Living Scale (ADL) and the therapeutic effect were assessed and compared before and after the 12 week treatment.@*RESULTS@#After the treatment the scores for MMSE and ADL were improved in all groups. The scores of MMSE and ADL in the compound Polygonum multiflorum extract treatment group were significantly improved compared with the Chinese herb control group and the western medicine control group (P < 0.01). The total effective rate of 93.33% in the compound Polygonum multiflorum extract treatment group was better than 73.33% in the Chinese herb control group and 68.97% in the western medicine control group (P < 0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Compound Polygonum multiflorum extract has effect on AD, and it is superior to Polygonum multiflorum extractor Naofukang.

Relationship between psychological distress and T lymphocyte in HIV/AIDS patients / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relationship between psychological distress and T lymphocyte counts in HIV/AIDS patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 102 HIV/AIDS patients were measured by symptom check list (SCL-90), self-rating depressive scale (SDS) and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS). Patients were divided into 2 groups based on CD4+ T lymphocyte counts < 0.2 x 10(9)/L (group A) and > or = 0.2 x 10(9)/L(group B).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>77 cases (75.49%) had psychological problems, including depression, relationship problems, psychosis, force etc. The prevalence of depression and anxiety were 67.65% (69/102) and 43.13% (44/102) respectively. The symptom of depression and anxiety of patients in group A were severer than those in group B (P < 0.05). The CD4+ T lymphocyte counts were significantly negatively correlated with the total score, depression score, paranoid score and psychosis score of SCL-90 (all P <0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Most of the HIV/AIDS patients were in an obviously abnormal psychological status. The psychological distress symptom of HIV/AIDS patients might had negative effects on the number of CD4+ T lymphocyte.</p>

Genetic polymorphisms in STK15 and MMP-2 associated susceptibility to esophageal cancer in Mongolian population / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the frequencies of alleles and the association with risk of esophageal cancer in a Mongolian population, and to compare the allele frequencies of these polymorphisms between the two populations and the susceptibility to esophageal cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A case-control study was conducted, and 8 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), including FAS - 670G/A, FAS - 1377G/A, FASL -844T/C, COX-2 - 1290A/G, COX-2 - 1195G/A, STK15 Phe31Ile, MMP-2 - 1306C/T and MMP -2 -735C/T, were detected by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism assay (PCR-RFLP) in 188 esophageal cancer cases and 324 normal controls of Mongolian. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by unconditional logistic regression. The results were then compared with the reported data of the Han ethnic Chinese population.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In Mongolian, as compared with the STK15 31Ile/Ile genotype, the STK15 31Phe/Phe genotype carriers had an increased risk of esophageal cancer (adjusted OR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.12-4.31), and the subjects with MMP-2 - 735TT genotype had an increased risk of esophageal cancer as compared with those with the MMP-2 - 735CC genotype (adjusted OR =4.82, 95% CI: 1.59 - 14.60). However, the rest of SNPs were not associated with the susceptibility to esophageal cancer. The allele frequencies of FASL - 844 T/C [0.264(171/648)/0.736 (477/648), 0.323(418/1296)/0.677(878/1296)], COX-2 - 1195G/A [0.431(279/648)/0.569(369/ 648), 0.492(1250/2540)/0.508(1290/2540)], MMP-2 - 1306C/T [0.869(563/648)/0.131(85/ 648), 0.835(1298/1554)/0.165(256/1554)] and MMP-2 - 735C/T [0.789(511/648)/0.211(137/ 648), 0.748(1163/1554)/0.252(391/1554)] were significantly different between the ethnic populations (chi2 = 7.03, 7.84, 3.94, 4.05, respectively, P <0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These findings suggested that STK15 Phe31Ile and MMP-2 -735C/T polymorphisms might be the genetic susceptibility factors for esophageal cancer in Mongolian and there should be some differences of genetic susceptibility to esophageal cancer in between Han ethnic Chinese and Mongolian population.</p>

Stress test and clinical application of the minimal-invasive dynamic hip screw / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To recognize the effect of minimal-invasive dynamic hip screw (MIDHS) on the treatment of intertrochanteric fracture of the hip by biomechanical test and preliminary clinical application.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ten artifical made intertrochanteric fractures of femoral specimen from five cadavers were divided into two groups randomly. The fractures in first group were fixed by MIDHS and other group were fixed by dynamic hip (DHS). Biomechanical characteristics of two different devices were compared with the biomechanical character of load-straining, load-displacing, rigidity and strength of femur by statistic analysis. According to the Harris evaluation, healing effect of intertrochanteric fractures was evaluated clinically on the 15 cases.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Straining changes of MIDHS were 14% and 11% less than that of DHS on the tensile side and the pressure side respectively; Sinking and horizontal displacement, were 19% and 22% less than that of DHS respectivly. But external and internal stress intensity,axial and bending rigidity were all higher than that of DHS, they were 12%, 11%, 19% and 37%. Maximal destroyed twisting moment (15%) and average twisting rigidity (15%) were both higher than that of DHS, but twisting angle was 18% less. Under the force, of 1 800 N, the open angle of the fracture on transverse section was 2.28 degrees,while the DHS's was 3.60 degrees . The data above were significant differences statistically (P < 0.01). The average Harris score of the 15 cases with intertrochanteric fractures treated by MIDHS was 91, excellent and good rate was 92.7%, without complications of internal fixation failure,postoperative infection and so on.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The design of minimal-invasive dynamic hip screw is reasonable and effective against rotating, shearing and varus stress force of the fracture, and it provides possibility of implanting the internal fixation with minimal incision. So it is an ideal internal fixation device for the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures.</p>

Enhancement of exogenous gene expression by artificial transcription factor in CHO cells / 生物工程学报

Using the amino acids 1-147 of the yeast transcriptional activator GAL4 as the DNA-binding domain and four tandem repeats of the 12-aa peptide (DALDDFDLDMLG) of the herpesvirus as the activation domain, an artificial transcription factor, GVP4,was constructed via the linkage of the nuclear localization signal sequence of SV40. And then, GVP4 was cloned into expression vector pcDNA3 . 1/Hygro ( + ) . Various amounts of targeting sites of artificial transcription factor were linked to the upstream of promoter CMV in exogenous gene expression vector pcDNA3.1 ( + ) that separately harbored EGFP cDNA and t-PA cDNA.The CHO cells were then co-transfected with GVP4 expression vector and EGFP or t-PA expression vector. The effect of GVP4 on exogenous gene expression was evaluated by measuring the fluorescence intensity of EGFP in CHO cells and the concentration of t-PA in the supernatant. GVP4 showed positive effect on the enhancement of exogenous gene expression in CHO cells integrated with targeting sites of artificial transcription factor. And, CHO cells integrated with 10 targeting sites of GVP4 was more favorable to foreign gene expression, which resulted in 2-3-fold increase in both EGFP and t-PA expressions. These results indicated that artificial transcription factor is potent in the enhancement of exogenous gene expression in mammalian cells.

Current Strategies for Polypeptide Fusion Tags Removal / 生物化学与生物物理进展

Using gene fusion technology, polypeptide fusion tags can be engineered into target proteins at the genetic level.The resultant recombinant proteins may possess the biochemical properties of the imported fusion tags.Therefore, it is possible to take advantage of fusion tags to improve and evaluate protein expression, to detect and track protein targets, and to purify and characterize proteins.However, it is necessary to eliminate any influence of the fusion tag in structural characterization experiments or in isolating pharmaceutical proteins.Scientists must therefore remove fusion tags prior to structural and functional analyses when fusion tags are suspected of interfering with the biological activity of a protein or influencing its behavior.The fusion tag can be removed by several methods including harsh chemical treatment, mild enzymatic cleavage by endoprotease or exoprotease, and intein-mediated self-cleavage.Here the literature is reviewed in relation to principles, applications, and approaches of each method.

Study on the relationship of change in hemodynamics of portal system and liver reserve in patients with hepatocirrhosis / 中国基层医药

Objective To investigate the relationship of change in hemodynamics of portal system and liver reserve of Chile-Pugh classification in patients with hepatocirrhosis.Methods Color Doppler ultrasound were applied to detect the inner diameter,average velocity of blood flow,quantity of blood flow of portal vein and splenic vein for 173 patients with post-hepatitis hepatocirrhosis(61 of Child grade A,53 of grade B,59 of grade C),which were sub- sequently compared with the healthy controls.Results In patients with hepatocirrhosis,the inner diameter of portal vein and splenic vein were widened,the average velocity of blood flow of portal vein and splenic vein were slowed down and the quantity of blood flow of splenic vein was increased,and the worse the damage of liver function was, the more obvious the change became.Conclusion The change in hemodynamics of portal system varies with the damage in liver function in patients with hepatocirrhosis.Measuring the hemodynamics of portal system is significant in determining the severity of the disease and the prognosis.

Stirred Bioreactor Cultivation Enhances the Efficiency of Embryoid Bodies Formation and Differentiation into Cardiomyocytes / 中国生物工程杂志

Objective:To determine the optimal condition for mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) culture with stirred bioreactor,and to develop a method for mass production of embryoid bodies (EB). Methods:The different initial cell concentrations of mESC and the initial stirring speed of bioreactor were investigated to determine the optimal condition for EB formation. Induced by ascorbic acid,the differentiation of EBs formed in stirred bioreactor into cardiomyocytes was compared with EBs formed in Petri dish. Immunofluorescence staining and RT-PCR were used to identify the cardiomyocytes derived from mESC. Results:The formation of a large number of uniform relatively EBs was achieved in stirred bioreactor when mESC were seeded initially with 1?105~3?105 cells/ml and stirring speed was set to 15~30r/min. Most of cells in the EBs formed in bioreactor were viable. EBs produced in bioreactor differentiated into cardiomyocytes more efficiently compared with EBs from Petri dish. The cardiac specific genes were expressed in ESC-derived cardiomyocytes. Conclusions:Stirred bioreactor culture could enhance the efficiency of EB formation and differentiation into cardiomyocytes,which may be a more ideal culture system for EB formation.

The Current State and Trend of in Fed-Batch Mammalian Cell Culture / 中国生物工程杂志

Fed-batch culture is the predominant mode of the current animal cell culture process for many recombinant protein production. Fed-batch culture operation is mainly based on the nutrient continuous consumption and demand of cells to design continuous or semi-continuous concentration feed medium to maintain or support high-density cell growth and improve volumetric productivity of target protein in the reactor. The main methods to improve production efficiency of fed-batch cells culture include the optimization of medium design, selection and optimization of feed strategy and regulation of cell metabolism.