Regulatory T Cells: A New Target of Chinese Medicine in Treatment of Atherosclerosis / 中国结合医学杂志

Inflammation and immune disorders are integral to the occurrence and progression of atherosclerosis (AS). With the role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in immune regulation attracting attention, it has been widely accepted that Treg decrease and dysfunction are involved in AS pathogenesis. Chinese medicine (CM) has the advantages of being dual-directional, multi-targeted, and having minimal side effects in immune regulation. The anti-atherosclerosis effects of CM via Treg modulation have been revealed in clinical and animal studies. Therefore, this article reviews existing research on Tregs, the relationship between Tregs and AS, and the progress of CM for treating and prevention of atherosclerotic cardio-cerebrovascular diseases by regulating Tregs. Although the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated, CM treatment targeting Treg cells might provide a promising and novel future approach for prevention and treatment of AS.

Clinicopathological features of gastric cancer in 108 young patients / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

Objective: To evaluate the clinicopathological and prognostic features of young patients with gastric cancer. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the age trend of all the inpatients gastric with adenocarcinoma pathologically confirmed from 2012 to 2017 in our institution. The cut-off value of 45 years old to distinguish the young and the middle-aged patients with gastric cancer was defined to be the bottom fifth percentile in the age histogram of all gastric cancer patients. Then we analyzed the demographic, clinicaopathological, molecular pathological and prognostic features of the two groups. Results: Based on the age and gender composition of the gastric cancer patients, 45 years was defined as the cut-off age to differentiate the young (n=108) and the middle-aged gastric (n=216) cancer patients. The gender ratio was 1.4:1 and 3.5:1 in the young group and the middle-aged group, respectively (P0.05). Conclusion: The young patients with gastric cancer exhibits different behavior and can be considered as a unique clinical entity. Further studies are required to fully understand the possible carcinogenesis and risk factors among young gastric cancer patients.

Pattern Classification of Enterovirus 71-Associated Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in Chinese Medicine: A Retrospective Study in 433 Cases / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine whether patterns of enterovirus 71 (EV71)-associated hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) were classified based on symptoms and signs, and explore whether individual characteristics were correlated with membership in particular pattern.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Symptom-based latent class analysis (LCA) was used to determine whether patterns of EV71-HFMD existed in a sample of 433 cases from a clinical data warehouse system. Logistic regression was then performed to explore whether demographic, and laboratory data were associated with pattern membership.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>LCA demonstrated a two-subgroup solution with an optimal fit, deduced according to the Bayesian Information Criterion minima. Hot pattern (59.1% of all patients) was characterized by a very high fever and high endorsement rates for classical HFMD symptoms (i.e., rash on the extremities, blisters, and oral mucosa lesions). Non-hot pattern (40.9% of all patients) was characterized by classical HFMD symptoms. The multiple logistic regression results suggest that white blood cell counts and aspartate transaminase were positively correlated with the hot pattern (adjust odds ratio=1.07, 95% confidence interval: 1.006-1.115; adjust odds ratio=1.051, 95% confidence interval: 1.019-1.084; respectively).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>LCA on reported symptoms and signs in a retrospective study allowed different subgroups with meaningful clinical correlates to be defined. These findings provide evidence for targeted prevention and treatment interventions.</p>

Establishment of porcine model of prolonged cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation electrically induced by ventricular fibrillation / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective To investigate the optimal injury time point of cardiac arrest (CA) induced electrically, and establish a reproducible prolonged CA and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) model in pigs. Methods Forty healthy domestic male pigs were randomly divided into four groups, which were ventricular fibrillation (VF) 8, 10, 11, and 12 minutes groups, each group for 10 animals. In these groups, VF was induced by alternating current delivered to right ventricular endocardium and untreated for 8, 10, 11, and 12 minutes, respectively, followed by 6 minutes of CPR procedure. The resuscitation and survival outcomes were recorded. Hemodynamic parameters and arterial blood gases of animals after successful resuscitation were measured and recorded for 6 hours. Those successful resuscitation animals were regularly evaluated for the neurological deficit score (NDS) and survival outcomes every 24 hours till 96 hours after resuscitation. Results The shortest duration of CPR (minute: 6.9±1.3) and the highest successful ratio of the first defibrillation (7/10) were observed in group VF 8 minutes, and the ratio of successful resuscitation was 100%. The best coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) during the CPR, less neurological impairment, longer survival time, more stable hemodynamics, and shorter time for arterial pH and lactate level restoring to the original state after CPR were also observed in group VF 8 minutes, and no severe damage was found in those animals. The longest duration of CPR (minute:10.3±2.9) and the lowest successful ratio of the first defibrillation (1/10) were observed in group VF 12 minutes, and only 4 animals achieved restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), and no animal survived to CPR 96 hours. The worst CPP during CPR and the highest NDS after resuscitation were also found in VF 12 minutes animals compared to those animals in the other groups. The injuries caused by ischemia and hypoxia in groups VF 10 minutes and VF 11 minutes were in between those of the groups VF 8 minutes and VF 12 minutes, and the duration of CPR were (7.0±2.1) minutes and (8.2±2.6) minutes. There were 9 and 7 animals achieved ROSC in groups VF 10 minutes and VF 11 minutes correspondingly, and 6 and 4 animals survived to 96 hours respectively. Obviously unstable hemodynamics was observed during the period of CPR 2 hours in the two groups. At CPR 1 hour, the heart rates (HR, beats/min) in groups VF 10 minutes and VF 11 minutes increased to 172 (155, 201) and 168 (136, 196) respectively, and the mean arterial pressures (MAP, mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) declined to 97 (92, 100) and 81 (77, 100), the cardiac output (CO, L/min) decreased to 5.0 (4.0, 5.8), 3.7 (3.0, 5.4) correspondingly. Distinct injuries were found in the two groups [CPR 24-96 hours NDS in groups VF 10 minutes and VF 11 minutes: 180 (110, 255)-20 (0, 400) and 275 (223, 350)-240 (110, 400)], and the arterial pH of the two group decreased to 7.26±0.09 and 7.23±0.09 respectively, and the level of lactate (mmol/L) increased to 9.17±1.48 and 12.80±2.71 correspondingly at CPR 0.5 hour. Significantly lower pH was observed in group VF 11 minutes compared to group VF 8 minutes at CPR 0.5 hour (7.23±0.09 vs. 7.33±0.04, P < 0.05). The highest level of lactate (mmol/L) was also found at the same time point in group VF 11 minutes, which recovered to normal slowly, and was still significantly higher than groups VF 8, 10, 12 minutes (7.58±3.99 vs. 2.55±1.53, 2.13±2.00, 3.40±2.30, all P < 0.05) at CPR 4 hours. Conclusions The longer duration of CA was, the more severe damage would be, the longer CPR time would be required, and the harder of the animals to achieve ROSC. In this prolonged CA and CPR porcine model, 10-11 minutes for untreated VF, was an optimal time point with appropriate successful rate of resuscitation, survival outcomes, and post-resuscitation injuries. Therefore, we recommended 10-11 minutes might be the rational length of no-flow time in this model.

Progress of mechanical ventilation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation / 中华危重病急救医学

Mechanical ventilation is regarded as an effective means of replacing artificial ventilation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and has been widely used in the treatment of cardiac arrest (CA) patients. However, there are still some controversial issues remaining to be settled, such as the assessmentof the effectiveness of mechanical ventilation, the selection of the optimal oxygen concentration (FiO2), tidal volume (VT), respiratory frequency, and mode of ventilation during the CPR process. The pros and cons of positive pressure ventilation are also inconclusive. We reviewed and summarized the related research in recent years, and recommended that the intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) of volume controlled with small VT (6-7 mL/kg), low ventilation rates (10 times/min), and pure oxygen could be applied during the mechanical ventilation of CPR. The best mechanical ventilation strategy still needs further experimental researches to discover and explore.

Effects of ulinastatin on intestinal mucosal barrier in patients with severe heatstroke / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To observe the effect of ulinastatin (UTI) on severe heatstroke-induced intestinal mucosal barrier function. Methods The SPF male BALB/c mice are randomly divided into control group that in which the mice were not exposed to heat stress 42°C heat-stress group. lower-dose UTI group (5000U/kg) and higher-dose UTI group (10 000U/kg) before 42°C heat stress. The morphological change of the small intestinal pathological tissue, the rate of intestinal bacterial translocation, and inflammatory cytokines level, diamine oxidase (DAO) activity and D-lactic acid concentration in plasma were observed. Survival curve was described by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank test. Results Compare to control group, the UTI treatment significantly alleviated villous edema, necrosis and of intestinal mucosa, infiltration of inflammatory cells was significantly reduced and the bacterial translocation, DAO activity and D-lactic acid concentration were also obviously decreased, especially in higherdose group. There were statistically significant differences between treatment and control groups (P<0.05). Conclusion UTI has a protective effect against the damage of intestinal mucosal during the early stage of severe heatstroke.

Changes in lymphocyte subsets and serum IFN-γ levels in children with toxoplasma infection / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the changes and significance of lymphocyte sunsets and serum interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels in children with toxoplasma infection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-four children who were newly diagnosed with toxoplasma infection (TOX-IgM+ group) between January 2011 and April 2014, 12 children who had ever been diagnosed with toxoplasma infection (TOX-IgG+ group), and 54 healthy children (control group) were enrolled. The percentages of CD4+, CD8+, CD19+ and NK cells in peripheral blood lymphocytes were detected by flow cytometry. Serum levels of IFN-γ were measured using ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The percentages of CD4+ cells and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio in the TOX-IgM+ group were significantly lower than in the TOX-IgG+ and control groups, while the percentages of CD8+ and NK cells and serum IFN-γ levels were significantly higher than in the other two groups (P<0.05). The TOX-IgG+ group had higher serum IFN-γ levels than the control group (P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between the percentage of CD8+ cells and serum IFN-γ levels in the TOX-IgM+ group (r=0.756; P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CD4+, CD8+ and NK cells may play important roles in the resistance against toxoplasma infection by promoting the secretion of cytokines.</p>

Serum uric acid levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Uyghur and Han ethnic groups in northwestern China / Concentração sérica de ácido úrico e doença hepática gordurosa não alcoólica em grupos étnicos Uyghur e Han no nordeste da China

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare serum uric acid values in two ethnically distinct Chinese populations: Uyghur, with a high prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and Han, with a lower prevalence. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Serum uric acid and several clinical features and laboratory tests relevant to the metabolic syndrome were measured in 4,157 Uyghur and 6,448 Han subjects in a health examination program. The diagnosis of hepatic steatosis was established by abdominal ultrasound examination. RESULTS: The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was 42.3% and 33.3% among Uyghur and Han subjects, respectively. The corresponding prevalence of hyperuricemia was 8.8% and 14.7%. The mean concentration of serum uric acid in Uyghurs also was lower than in Hans (282.75 vs. 310.79 µmol/L; p < 0.01). However, in both populations, the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was increased in association with increasing serum uric acid concentrations, a trend that was more pronounced in Uyghur than in Han subjects (OR 3.279 and 3.230, respectively). Several components of the metabolic syndrome were more pronounced in Uyghurs than in Hans. CONCLUSIONS: Serum uric acid is an independent risk factor in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in both Uyghurs and Hans, but other risk factors may be more important in the differences in prevalence of the disease between the two ethnic groups.

OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar os valores de ácido úrico em duas populações chinesas etnicamente diferentes: Uyghur, com alta prevalência de doença hepática gordurosa não alcoólica, e Han, com prevalência mais baixa. SUJEITOS E MÉTODOS: A concentração sérica de ácido úrico e várias características clínicas e testes laboratoriais relevantes para a síndrome metabólica foram determinados em 4.157 indivíduos Uyghur e 6.448 indivíduos Han submetidos a um programa de checkups. O diagnóstico de esteatose hepática foi estabelecido por ultrassom abdominal. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de doença hepática gordurosa não alcoólica foi de 42,3% e 33,3% entre os indivíduos Uyghur e Han, respectivamente. A prevalência correspondente de hiperuricemia foi de 8,8% e 14,7%. A concentração sérica média de ácido úrico em Uyghurs também foi mais baixa do que em Hans (282,75 contra 310,79 µmol/L; p < 0,01). Entretanto, em ambas as populações, a prevalência de doença hepática gordurosa não alcoólica aumentou com a elevação da concentração sérica de ácido úrico, uma tendência mais pronunciada em Uyghurs do que em Hans (OR 3,279 e 3,230, respectivamente). Vários componentes da síndrome metabólica são mais pronunciados em Uyghurs do que em Hans. CONCLUSÕES: A concentração sérica de ácido úrico é um fator de risco independente para a doença hepática gordurosa não alcoólica tanto em Uyghurs quando em Hans, mas outros fatores de risco podem ser mais importantes nas diferenças na prevalência da doença entre esses dois grupos étnicos.

Preparation of infertile male rabbits by local electron beam irradiation for intratesticular transplantation of autologous bone marrow stem cells

PURPOSE: To explore an efficient and safe protocol for the preparation of infertile male rabbits from which bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) could be isolated and cultured. METHODS: Autologous BMSCs could be used for intratesticular transplantation and male infertility research. For this model, various doses (e.g., 6, 8, 10, or 12 Gy) of electron beam irradiation from a linear accelerator were locally applied to the scrotum of 5-month-old male New Zealand white rabbits. The effects of irradiation were compared between treatment groups, and with age-matched normal controls. Both morphology and hollow ratios of seminiferous tubules (HRST) were examined two, four, six, eight and 12-weeks post-irradiation. RESULTS: The seminiferous epithelium showed varying degrees of damage in all treatment groups compared with unirradiated controls, yet Sertoli and Leydig cells appeared unaffected. A dose-dependent response in spermatogenesis was also observed. BMSCs that were isolated and cultured from rabbits of the normal control group and the 12 Gy treatment group were compared with respect to morphology and growth. Starting at 6 weeks, HRST of the 12 Gy-treatment group were stable, and were the highest among all the groups. BMSCs from rabbits treated with 12 Gy also exhibited similar growth as the control group. CONCLUSION: Local dose of 12 Gy to the testes of 5-month-old male New Zealand rabbits is a protocol with which to obtain autologous bone marrow stem cells.

Single implant in the mandibular molar region of edentulous patient

Implant-retained overdentures are a valid treatment option for edentulous patients, especially for patients with severe alveolar ridge atrophy. A central single implant is considered adequate to retain an overdenture in the edentulous mandible. However, for some patients, there is no sufficient bone height, or width in the interforaminal region of the mandible for insertion of the implant. This case report illustrates that the insertion of a single implant in the mandibular molar region might stabilize the prosthesis, and might improve the oral health-related quality of life and chewing function. A Locator attachment was used in this case to retain the overdenture. The one-year clinical results are promising. However, long-term clinical results and randomized clinical trials are needed before this method can be widely used in clinical application

Inhibitory effect of platelet-derived growth factor-α receptor silencing on the proliferation of human lens epithelial cell / 中华实验眼科杂志

Background Platelet-derived growth facto(PDGF) affectthe proliferation of human lenepithelial cell(LECs),and human LECexpresPDGF-α recepto(PDGFR-α) throughoutheilifetime.The binding of activated PDGF-α receptowith PDGF promotethe synthesiof DNA.Othestudiedemonstrated thasilencing of PDGFR-α by antisense oligodeoxynucleotide(ASODN) inhibitthe growth of RPE cellin proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR),buwhethethitechnique ifeasible foLECiunclear.Objective Thistudy wato investigate the effecof the knockdown of the PDGFR-α on the proliferation of human LECin vitro,and to offean experimental basifothe gene therapy of posteriocapsule opacification.MethodHuman LECstrain SRA01/ 04 wacultured in α-MEM containing fetal bovine serum.The cellwere incubated in 6-well platea5 × 104 cells/ well and transfection of ASODN-containing liposome waperformed.The cellwere divided into the blank control group (with blank liposome),PDGFR-α missense oligodeoxynucleotide(MSODN) group (with PDGFR-α MSODN + liposome),0.5 μmol/L PDGFR-α ASODN group (with 0.5 μmol/L PDGFR-α ASODN+liposome) and 1.0 μmol/L PDGFR-α ASODN group (with 1.0 μ mol/L PDGFR-α ASODN+liposome).The morphology of LECwaexamined undean inverse microscope 24 houraftetransfection.The expression of PDGFR-α mRNin the cellwadetected by reverse transcription-PC(RT-PCR).The rate of proliferation (A490) of the cellwaassayed using Mtand the inhibitory rate of PDGFR-α ASODN on proliferation wameasured.The percentage of LECin G1 phase waanalyzed by flow cytometer.ResultThe LECgrew well and exhibited polygonal shape in the blank control group and PDGFR-α MSODN group 24 houraftetransfection.Buin the 0.5 μmol/L and 1.0 μmol/L PDGFR-α ASODN groups,the cellappeared round in shape and the numberof cellwere obviously decreased.The expression of PDGFR-α mRNdetected by RT-Pcdemonstrated highelevel in the blank control group and PDGFR-α MSODN group;however,the PDGFR-α mRNexpression waobviously lowein the 0.5 μmol/L and 1.0 μmol/L PDGFR-α ASODN groups.The A490 value wa0.661 ± 0.036,0.655 ± 0.016,0.529 ± 0.030 and 0.441 ± 0.039 in the blank control group,PDGFR-α MSODN group,0.5 μmol/L PDGFR-α ASODN group and 1.0 μmol/L PDGFR-α ASODN group,respectively,showing significandecline in the 0.5 μmol/L PDGFR-α ASODN group and 1.0 μ mol/L PDGFR-α ASODN group in comparison with the blank control group (F=34.08,P＜0.01).The percentageof LECin G1 phase were (47.73±1.18)％,(49.48±1.09)％,(53.31±1.30)％ and (59.98±0.95) ％ in the blank control group,PDGFR-α MSODN group,0.5 μmol/L PDGFR-α ASODN group and 1.0 μmol/L PDGFR-α ASODN group,showing significandifference among them (F =68.41,P＜0.01),and thain the 0.5 μmol/L PDGFR-α ASODN group o1.0 μmol/L PDGFR-α ASODN group showed significantly increase in comparison with the blank control group (P＜0.05).ConclusionPDGFR-α silencing could inhibithe proliferation of human LECin vitro.

Effect of hepatocyte growth factor and angiotensin II on rat cardiomyocyte hypertrophy

Angiotensin II (Ang II) plays an important role in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. The combined effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and Ang II on cardiomyocytes is unknown. The present study was designed to determine the effect of HGF on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and to explore the combined effect of HGF and Ang II on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Primary cardiomyocytes were isolated from neonatal rat hearts and cultured in vitro. Cells were treated with Ang II (1 µM) alone, HGF (10 ng/mL) alone, and Ang II (1 µM) plus HGF (10 ng/mL) for 24, 48, and 72 h. The amount of [³H]-leucine incorporation was then measured to evaluate protein synthesis. The mRNA levels of β-myosin heavy chain and atrial natriuretic factor were determined by real-time PCR to evaluate the presence of fetal phenotypes of gene expression. The cell size of cardiomyocytes was also studied. Ang II (1 µM) increased cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Similar to Ang II, treatment with 1 µM HGF promoted cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Moreover, the combination of 1 µM Ang II and 10 ng/mL HGF clearly induced a combined pro-hypertrophy effect on cardiomyocytes. The present study demonstrates for the first time a novel, combined effect of HGF and Ang II in promoting cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.

Research progress of the atypical kinetic profiles of cytochrome P450 enzymes / 药学学报

Cytochrome P450 enzymes are composed of many isozymes and involved in the biotransformation of both exogenous and endogenous substances. A growing number of studies have found that the P450 enzymes do not always follow the classical Michaelis-Menten kinetics, but show atypical kinetic behavior, which is also the current research hotspot. In this paper, the category and mechanisms of atypical kinetics of the P450 enzyme were reviewed, providing theoretical basis for the research of enzyme kinetics.

Effect of suppression of platelet-derived growth factor-α receptor expression with antisense oligonucleotide on proliferation and apoptosis of retinal pigment epithelium cell / 中华实验眼科杂志

BackgroundRetinal pigment epithelial(RPE) cells can secrete platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and PDGF receptor(PDGFR).Studies have shown that PDGF plays a key role in the formation of proliferative vitreous retinopathy(PVR). ObjectiveThis study was to investigate the proliferation and apoptosis changes of RPE after blockage of the PDGFR-α expression by antisense oligonucleotide ( ASODN ) in vitro. Methods Human RPE cells strain was cultured in low glucose DMEM with 10％ fetal bovine serum.Logarithmic phase cells were collected and incubated in 96-well plate at the density of 5 × 105 cells/hole.PDGFR-α ASODN was transfected into RPE cells at different concentrations for 48 hours.The cells of the blank control group were regularly cultured without any transfection.The changes of PDGFR-α expression were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR),and the proliferation of RPE was detected by MTT as the A490 value.Hoechst 33258 fluorescence staining was used to determine the apoptosis of RPE.Flow cytometry method (FCM) was applied to detect the change of cell cycle and apoptosis rate of RPE cells. ResultsThe A490 values of RPE cells were 1.45±0.12,1.07±0.06,0.65±0.05 in blank control group,1.0 μmol/L Lipo-ASODN group and 2.0 μmol/L Lipo-ASODN group with the significant difference(P=0.00 ),and that of 1.0 μmol/L Lipo-ASODN group and 2.0 μ mol/L Lipo-ASODN group were significantly lower than the blank control group ( P =0.00,0.00).Hoechst 33258 staining showed that the apoptosis cells were obviously more in Lipo-ASODN group compared with blank control group.PDGFR-α ASODN transfection induced an increase of percentage of RPE cells in G0/G1 phase( F =206.70,P =0.00),and the apoptosis rates in 1.0 μmol/L Lipo-ASODN group and 2.0 μmol/L Lipo-ASODN group were significantly enhanced in comparison with blank control group ( 37.8 ± 1.3 vs 10.5 ± 0.1,61.2 ± 1.9 vs 10.5 ± 0.1 ) ( F =1808.90,P =0.00 ).Expression intensity of PDGFR-α mRNA in RPE cells in Lipo-ASODN groups was lower. ConclusionsBlocking the PDGFR-α expression with ASODN technology can suppress proliferation and induce apoptosis of RPE cells.Intensity of PDGFR-α mRNA expression in RPE cells is ASODN dose-dependent.ASODN targeted to PDGFR-α offers an experimental basis of the gene therapy for PVR.

Effects of local application of zoledronic acid on bone healing of tooth extraction in rats / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of local application of zoledronic acid (ZA) on the expression of type I collagen and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-four male Wistar rats were divided into ZA group, gelatin sponge group, and blank control group after one-side tooth extraction. The expression of type I collagen and VEGF were detected with SP immunohistochemistry method 1, 2 and 4 weeks after operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The gray value of type I collagen in ZA group (60.00 ± 1.81, 63.47 ± 3.02) was lower than those in gelatin sponge group (68.58 ± 2.90, 71.15 ± 5.57) and blank control group (69.16 ± 9.63, 72.50 ± 4.10, P < 0.05) in the 1 and 2 week. In the ZA and gelatin sponge groups, the gray values of type I collagen were higher in the 4th week than in the 1st and 2nd week (P < 0.05). The expression of VEGF was higher in ZA group (69.93 ± 2.74) than in gelatin sponge group (60.86 ± 4.79) and blank control group (61.52 ± 2.28) in the 1st week (P < 0.05). There was significant difference in VEGF expression between the 2nd week and 1st and 4th week (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Local application of ZA could enhance the expression of type I collagen but inhibit the expression of VEGF in the early stage.</p>

Down-regulation of p73 correlates with high histological grade in Japanese with breast carcinomas / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>p73, a homologue of p53, has been located at chromosome 1p36-33, a region of frequently observed loss of heterozygosity in breast cancers. The objective of the present study was to investigate the function of p73 in Japanese with breast cancers.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty Japanese patients with breast cancer were assessed by polymerase chain reaction single strand confirmation polymorphism analysis and direct sequencing to detect the p73 allele. p73 mRNA levels were also determined in 40 out of 60 patients by reverse-transcriptional polymerase chain reaction.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>We analyzed the entire open reading frame of the p73 gene by polymerase chain reaction single strand confirmation polymorphism and sequencing, and failed to identify any mutations of p73 in the encoding regions detected. Loss of heterozygosity of p73 was infrequent and only found in 9% of breast carcinomas. We revealed a few polymorphisms with a frequency of 13% - 29%, which had been reported previously. Down-regulation of p73 mRNA expression was observed in tumor tissues in comparison to the normal breast tissues. A significant inverse correlation was found between p73 transcripts and high histological grade, suggesting that down-regulated p73 expression could be related to poor prognosis in those patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our results suggest that p73 may serve as a tumor suppressor gene and its expression plays a role in tumorigenesis in Japanese patients with breast cancer.</p>

A pilot investigation on serum protein fingerprinting of nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a preliminary foundation for developing a serum proteomics diagnostic model of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) by comparing the differences in serum protein fingerprints between patients with NPC and healthy subjects and between different types of NPC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The serum samples of 41 patients with different types of NPC and 20 healthy subjects were collected. Surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) were used to detect the blood samples to obtain serum protein mass spectrum, i.e. serum protein fingerprinting. Biomarker Wizard and Biomarker Patterns system software were used to compare the differences in serum protein mass spectrum between NPC patients and healthy subjects and between different types of NPC, and to screen out the NPC-related serum proteins.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the healthy control, NPC patients emerged 9 very prominent protein peaks (P < 0.001), with the combined differential peaks. No significant difference was found in relative amount of serum proteins with different molecular mass between different types of NPC (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The serum marker proteins and specific protein fingerprints of NPC can be screened out by SELDI-TOF-MS, which could be used to develop a serum proteomics model for clinical screening and early diagnosis of NPC.</p>

Effect of oxidative low-density lipoprotein on the proliferation of bone marrow stem cell- derived smooth muscle cells / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish the model of bone mesenchymal stem cell-derived smooth muscle cells (BMSC-SMCs) and investigate the role of BMSC-SMCs in the development and progression of artherosclerosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>BMSCs were isolated from the femoral bone of SD rats by adherent tissue culture method, and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were obtained from the thoracic aorta. The differentiation of BMSCs into BMSC-SMCs was induced in the conditioned medium. The specific markers of BMSCs and BMSC-SMCs were identified by immunofluorescence (IF) staining. After treatment with 80 mg/L oxidative low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) for 72 h, the growth characteristics of BMSC-SMCs and VSMCs were observed. Flow cytometry was applied to analyze the cell cycle of BMSC-SMCs and VSMCs.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>BMCS-SMCs transformed into foam cells after treatment with ox-LDL, which was more obvious in comparison with VSMCs. The growth curve of BMSC-SMCs and VSMCs presented with an S-shape pattern with the cell doubling time of 20 and 32 h, which was reduced to 15 and 28 h after treatment with 80 mg/L ox-LDL, respectively. Flow cytometry showed that exposure to 80 mg/L ox-LDL significantly increased G(0)/G(1) and decreased S and G(2)/M phase cells in both BMSC-SMCs (P<0.01, n=3) and VSMCs (P<0.05, n=3) in comparison with the control cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>BMSC-SMC might be involved in the formation of fatty core and accelerate the development of atherosclerosis.</p>

Mechanisms of foam cell formation in smooth muscle cell derived from bone marrow stem cells / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a model of smooth muscle cells differentiated from bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC-SMCs) in vitro and explore the relationship between scavenger receptors A (SR-A) and caveolin-1.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>BMSCs were isolated from the femoral bone of SD rats by adherent culture. After treatment of the BMSC-SMCs with 80 mg/L ox-LDL for 72 h, Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of scavenger receptor SR-A, cell cholesterol transport protein ATP-binding cassette transporter Al (ABCA1) and caveolin-1.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>BMCS-SMCs became foam cells after treatment with ox-LDL. BMSC-SMC gave rise to more foam cell formation than VSMCs did. Western blotting showed that treatment with 80 mg/L ox-LDL for 72 h resulted in significantly increased expression of SR-A and significantly decreased expressions of ABCA1 and caveolin-1.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Treatment of BMCS-SMCs with ox-LDL results in cholesterol ester accumulation in the cells to result in foam cells, the mechanism of which involves up-regulation of scavenger receptor SR-A expression and down-regulation of the reverse cholesterol transport protein ABCA1 and caveolin-1 expression.</p>

Effect of glucocorticoid with traditional Chinese medicine in severe acute aespiratory syndrome (SARS) / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effects of traditional Chinese medicine in 461 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS) on glucocorticoid's dosage.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>By using the polycentric nonrandomized concurrent controled trial and under the condition of glucocorticoid use, the patierts were divided into two groups: the integrated traditional Chinese and western mendicine(ITCWM) and simplicity western mendicine alone(WM). The observation indexes were time in hospital, pneumonia duration, mortality, glucocorticoid's gross dosage, glucocorticoid's average dosage of days and glucocorticoid use time.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>In the ITCWM group, average time in hospital was shortened (P = 0.058), pneumonia duration was shortened (P = 0.057), mortality fell (P = -0.001). The median of glucocorticoid' s gross dosage was 1,277.0 mg x d(-1) in the ITCWM group, and that was 1,680.0 mg x d(-1) in the WM group (P = 0.083). The median of glucocorticoid's average dosage of days was 84.40 mg x d(-1) in the ITCWM group, and that was 115.33 mg x d(-1) in the WM group (P = 0.025). According to the analysis of 461 cases divided by stages and different ponderance, within 7 days after illness, in the ITCWM group, the glucocorticoid' s average dosage decreased. In the common type, the dosage in the ITCWM and in the WM was 146.43 mg x d(-1), and 183.64 mg x d(-1), respectively (P = 0.057), in the severe type, that was 137.71 and 177.86 mg x d(-1), respectively (P = 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compared with the group of simplicity western mendicine, in the group of integratived Chinese and western mendicine, time in hospital shorten, pneumonia duration shorten, mortality fall, simultaneity, glucocorticoid's average dosage is decreased. The use of TCM in the forepart of treatment can be capable of decreasing glucocorticoid's dosage.</p>