ABSTRACT
Vestibular compensation is an important model for developing the prevention and intervention strategies of vestibular disorders, and investigating the plasticity of the adult central nervous system induced by peripheral injury. Medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) in brainstem is critical center for vestibular compensation. Its neuronal excitability and sensitivity have been implicated in normal function of vestibular system. Previous studies mainly focused on the changes in neuronal excitability of the MVN in lesional side of the rat model of vestibular compensation following the unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL). However, the plasticity of sensitivity of bilateral MVN neurons dynamically responding to input stimuli is still largely unknown. In the present study, by using qPCR, whole-cell patch clamp recording in acute brain slices and behavioral techniques, we observed that 6 h after UL, rats showed a significant deficit in spontaneous locomotion, and a decrease in excitability of type B neurons in the ipsilesional rather than contralesional MVN. By contrast, type B neurons in the contralesional rather than ipsilesional MVN exhibited an increase in response sensitivity to the ramp and step input current stimuli. One week after UL, both the neuronal excitability of the ipsilesional MVN and the neuronal sensitivity of the contralesional MVN recovered to the baseline, accompanied by a compensation of spontaneous locomotion. In addition, the data showed that the small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channel involved in the regulation of type B MVN neuronal sensitivity, showed a selective decrease in expression in the contralesional MVN 6 h after UL, and returned to normal level 1 week later. Pharmacological blockage of SK channel in contralateral MVN to inhibit the UL-induced functional plasticity of SK channel significantly delayed the compensation of vestibular motor dysfunction. These results suggest that the changes in plasticity of the ipsilesional MVN neuronal excitability, together with changes in the contralesional MVN neuronal sensitivity, may both contribute to the development of vestibular symptoms as well as vestibular compensation, and SK channel may be an essential ionic mechanism responsible for the dynamic changes of MVN neuronal sensitivity during vestibular compensation.
Subject(s)
Animals , Rats , Locomotion , Neurons/physiology , Patch-Clamp Techniques , Vestibular Nuclei/metabolism , Vestibule, LabyrinthABSTRACT
Purpose@#Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been reported to predict adverse survival outcomes among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). This study evaluates the prognostic value of NLR among patients with obstructing CRC who successfully underwent stenting before curative surgery. @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent stenting before surgery. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, perioperative outcomes, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. NLR was calculated from the differential white blood cell counts at least 4 days after successful stenting, before elective surgery. Optimal cutoff to dichotomize NLR was obtained by maximizing log-rank test statistic with recursive partitioning of KaplanMeier RFS and OS curves. The optimal cutoff for high NLR was ≥ 5 at presentation before stenting, and ≥ 4 after stenting. @*Results@#Fifty-seven patients with localized obstructing CRC underwent successful endoscopic stenting before curative surgery. High NLR was associated with lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.006) and apical lymph node involvement (P = 0.034). Major perioperative complication(s) (hazard ratio [HR], 11.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.49 to 51.56; P < 0.01) and high NLR (HR, 3.69; 95% CI, 1.46 to 9.35; P < 0.01) negatively impacted OS on univariate and multivariate analyses. High NLR negatively impacted RFS on univariate analysis (HR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.29 to 6.60; P = 0.01). @*Conclusion@#NLR of ≥ 4 after stenting is an independent prognostic factor among patients with obstructing localized CRC who are successfully decompressed by endoscopic stenting before curative surgery.
ABSTRACT
Purpose@#Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been reported to predict adverse survival outcomes among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). This study evaluates the prognostic value of NLR among patients with obstructing CRC who successfully underwent stenting before curative surgery. @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent stenting before surgery. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, perioperative outcomes, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. NLR was calculated from the differential white blood cell counts at least 4 days after successful stenting, before elective surgery. Optimal cutoff to dichotomize NLR was obtained by maximizing log-rank test statistic with recursive partitioning of KaplanMeier RFS and OS curves. The optimal cutoff for high NLR was ≥ 5 at presentation before stenting, and ≥ 4 after stenting. @*Results@#Fifty-seven patients with localized obstructing CRC underwent successful endoscopic stenting before curative surgery. High NLR was associated with lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.006) and apical lymph node involvement (P = 0.034). Major perioperative complication(s) (hazard ratio [HR], 11.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.49 to 51.56; P < 0.01) and high NLR (HR, 3.69; 95% CI, 1.46 to 9.35; P < 0.01) negatively impacted OS on univariate and multivariate analyses. High NLR negatively impacted RFS on univariate analysis (HR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.29 to 6.60; P = 0.01). @*Conclusion@#NLR of ≥ 4 after stenting is an independent prognostic factor among patients with obstructing localized CRC who are successfully decompressed by endoscopic stenting before curative surgery.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between the neurobehavioral functions of individuals exposed to low-level lead and the levels of serum copper-related proteins glutathione S-transferase M1(GSTM1), hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha(HIF1α), cyclooxygenase 1(COX1) and metallothionein(MT), and to screen biomarkers for changes in neurobehavioral function caused by occupational lead exposure. METHODS: A total of 194 workers who exposed to low-level lead(lead-exposed group) and 120 workers without lead exposure(control group) were selected from a battery factory as the research subjects by judgment sampling method. The inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was used to determine blood lead levels of the two groups, and the State of Mood Scale(POMS) was investigated to assess the emotional state. The computerized neurobehavioral evaluation system in Chinese version 3(NES-C3) was used to test the neurobehavioral ability index(NAI) of related indicators of learning memory and mental activity. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the levels of copper-related protein in serum. After using principal component analysis to extract the principal components of emotional state, learning memory and mental activity, multiple linear regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of neurobehavioral function. RESULTS: The blood lead level of the lead-exposed group was increased [(57.15±11.12) vs(177.86±80.04) μg/L, P<0.01], and the incidence of symptoms such as dizziness, memory loss, sleep disturbance, fatigue, weakness, cold sweats in extremities, cold extremities, tingling of extremities, tingling sensation in the distal extremities, tetany, instability of holding things, metallic taste in the mouth, nausea and vomiting, anorexia, constipation, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, toothache/tooth loosening were increased(all P<0.01) compared with the control group. Meanwhile, the scores of tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, fatigue-inertia, anger-hostility, confusion-bewilderment of POMS were increased(all P<0.01), and the scores of vigor-activity were decreased(P<0.01). The NAI of the lead-exposed individuals in the NES-C3 test of 6 indicators(series addition and subtraction, visual retention, memory scanning, listening to digital breadth, visual simple reaction time, target tracking) were lower than that of the control group(all P<0.01). The serum levels of GSTM1 and HIF1α of the lead-exposed group decreased(all P<0.01), and the COX1 and MT levels increased(all P<0.01) compared with the control group. The serum GSTM1, HIF1α, COX1 and MT of the lead-exposed group were correlated with their emotional state, learning and memory and mental activity to varying degrees(all P<0.05). The results of multiple stepwise linear regression showed that serum COX1 level was an independent influencing factor of emotional state(P<0.01), serum GSTM1, COX1 and lead working years were independent influencing factor of learning and memory(all P<0.05), and work length with lead exposure and alcohol consumption was an independent influencing factor of mental activity(all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Low-level lead exposure can cause central nervous system symptoms in workers, and the change in neurobehavioral function and serum levels of copper-related proteins GSTM1, HIF1α, COX1 and MT. Serum levels of GSTM1 and COX1 can be used as candidate biomarkers for indicating neurobehavioral function caused by lead exposure.
ABSTRACT
Objective Transdifferentiation exists between stromal cells or between stromal cells and cancer cells. Evodiamine and berberine are predominant pharmacological components of pill, a prescription of Traditional Chinese Medicine, playing crucial functions in remolding of tumor microenvironment. This study aimed to explore the effect of combination of evodiamine with berberine (cBerEvo) on the phenotypic transition of colon epithelial cells induced by tumor-associated fibroblasts, as well as the involved mechanisms.Methods Human normal colon epithelial cell line HCoEpiC cells were treated with the prepared conditioned medium of CCD-18Co, a human colon myofibroblast line, to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Phase contrast microscope was used to observe the morphological changes. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers including E-cadherin, vimentin and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were observed with immunofluorescence microscopy. Migration was assessed by wound healing assay. Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of E-cadherin, vimentin, α-SMA, Snail, ZEB1 and Smads. Results In contrast to the control, the tumor-associated fibroblasts-like CCD-18Co cells induced down-regulation of E-cadherin and up-regulation of vimentin, α-SMA, Snail and ZEB1 (<0.05), and promoted migration of HCoEpiCs (<0.05), with over expression of Smads including Smad2, p-Smad2, Smad3, p-Smad3 and Smad4 (<0.05), which were abolished by a transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) receptor inhibitor LY364947 and by cBerEvo in a concentration dependent manner. In addition, cBerEvo-inhibited ratios of p-Smad2/Smad2 and p-Smad3/Smad3 were also dose dependent.Conclusion The above results suggest that cBerEvo can regulate the differentiation of colon epithelial cells induced by CCD-18Co through suppressing activity of TGF-β/Smads signaling pathway.
ABSTRACT
Rare diseases are usually defined as diseases with a low incidence in the population. According to re-ports, there were 6084 rare diseases found worldwide in 2016, involving 3715 related genes. 80% of rare diseases are caused by heredity, dominant or recessive inheritance or mutations. The definition of rare diseases by”incidence”in the population varies from country to country, like the EU <1/2000 and the United States <1/2500. A drug used to prevent, treat, or diagnose a rare disease is called an orphan drug. Due to the difficulty of research and development in this small target population, the high investment risk and the high R&D cost, the problem associated with high price of orphan drugs is very prominent. In the cost-effectiveness evaluation, the resulting incremental cost-effectiveness ratio(ICER)is likely to exceed the willingness to pay threshold adopted by most countries and regions, resulting in multiple countries raising its willingness to pay threshold reference standard(3-25 times GDP per capital)for orphan drugs, or simply ex-empting health technology assessment(HTA)assessment for orphan drugs and only evaluating the impact on medical in-surance fund. This paper systematically reviewed the various internationally accepted orphan drug HTA assessment meth-odologies. Based on the characteristics of rare diseases, the paper discusses the establishment of a model for the evalua-tion of orphan drugs and the multi-dimensional value assessment framework for HTA. At the same time, according to the internationally accepted norm, the paper also explores the way to determine the willingness to pay threshold in HTA as-sessment for orphan drugs in China.
ABSTRACT
Objective@#To analyze the prognostic factors and the value of radiotherapy (RT) for the early stage (T1-2N1M0) triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients after modified radical mastectomy, and provide a basis for the selection of the clinical treatment strategy.@*Methods@#The retrospective analysis was performed in 87 TNBC patients at T1-2N1M0 stage. All patients were admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from Jan 2006 to Oct 2011. Fifty-three cases received postoperative RT (RT group), and the other 34 cases without RT (non-RT group). Factors enrolled in Kaplan-Meier analysis were postoperative RT, age, menstruation, histological grade, vascular tumor thrombus, T staging, the number of positive lymph node and metastasis rate, surgery procedure, Ki-67 index. The endpoints were local regional recurrence rate (LRR), distant metastasis rate (DM), recurrence free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) rate for 5 years.@*Results@#The significant difference was found in the 5-year LRR (9.4% vs. 15.2%) and RFS (81.3% vs. 66.7%) between RT group and non-RT group (χ2=8.073, 12.789, P<0.05). No significant difference in the DM and OS was observed between the two groups (P>0.05). The univariate analysis showed that RT, lymph node metastasis, age, and Ki-67 index were the risk factors for 5-year LRR (P<0.05), while vascular thrombus and lymph node metastasis rate were risk factors for 5-year DM (P<0.05), RT, vascular tumor thrombus, lymph node metastasis rate, and Ki-67 index 5-year RFS (P<0.05). The multivariate analysis showed that RT and lymph node metastasis were the independent risk factors for 5-year LRR (HR=0.279, 5.277, P<0.05), vascular thrombus was an independent risk factor 5-year DM (HR=2.313, P<0.05), while RT, vascular tumor thrombus and lymph node metastasis rate were the independent risk factors for 5 years RFS (HR=0.378, 2.350, 5.084, P<0.05).@*Conclusions@#Postoperative RT might improve the local control rate of TNBC patients at T1-2N1M0 stage, while the effect on DM and OS in 5 years was little. Postoperative RT, lymph node metastasis rate, vascular tumor thrombus, Ki-67 index and age are related to patient′s prognosis of early stage TNBC.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the radioprotective function and its mechanism of Sulforaphane (SF) in mice acute radiation-induced lung injury.Methods Totally 40 female C57BL/6J mice were equally divided into 5 groups randomly.Group A,treated by SF 3 mg/kg plus radiation;group B,treated by SF 5 mg/kg plus radiation;group C,treated by SF 10 mg/kg plus radiation;radiation group with a single dose of 12 Gy in 6 MV X-ray by a linear accelerator,and control group with sham radiation.The mice in drug group were administered intraperitoneally with different concentration of SF every other day from 7 d before irradiation to 7 d after irradiation,while the same volume of DMSO plus physiological saline solvent was given in the control and radiation groups.After being sacrificed at 14 d of SF administration,the pathomorphological changes of mice were observed in trauma lung tissue,the positioning and expression of NLRP3 was observed by immunohistochemical staining,the levels of IL-6,TNF-α and TGF-β1 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured by ELISA,the expressions of NLRP3 and IL-1β mRNA in lung tissue were assayed by qRT-PCR,the expressions of NF-κB p65,NLRP3 and IL-1β proteins in lung tissue were assayed by Western blot,the activity of NF-κB was detected by EMSA.Results In comparison with radiation group,there was an obvious amelioration in pathological injury of lung tissue in the treatment groups:the expression of NLRP3 in lung tissue decreased;the concentration of NLRP3 in the drug intervention group (SF 10 mg / kg) markedly decreased (F =42.750,P ＜ 0.05).the IL-6,TNF-a and TGF-β1 levels in BALF decreased (tIL-6 =-62.65-21.00;tTNF-α =-32.18-16.57;tTGF-β1 =-58.22-46.11,P ＜ 0.05);the expressions of NLRP3 and IL-1β mRNA markedly decreased (tNLRP3 =-6.56-5.68;tIL-1β =-29.75--21.20,P ＜ 0.05),and the expressions of NF-κB p65,NLRP3 and IL-1β proteins decreased (tNF-κB p65 =-34.00--1.71,tNLRP3 =-25.01--16.91,tIL-1β =-73.70--55.14,P ＜ 0.05);the relative expressions of NF-κB p65 and NLRP3 were reduced in a dose-dependent manner (r =0.945,0.926);and the activity of NF-κB were obviously reduced (tNF-κB =-38.68,-614.82,-2 831.40,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Sulforaphane effectively alleviates the RILI in lung of mice by downregulating the expressions of inflammatory factor NLRP3.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the feasibility of periodontal mechanical therapy for chronic periodontitis and coronary heart disease patients with low dose of aspirin.Methods:Sixty nine chronic periodontitis patients with coronary heart disease were randomly selected as the experimental group (medication group,group A),the control group (withdrawal group,group B) including 20 chronic periodontitis patients with coronary artery disease,stopping the drug for one week and another control group with 50 chronic periodontitis patients (group C).The three groups were examined with pocket probing,and received supragingival scaling,subgingival scaling,and root planning.Local bleeding after operation was observed.In 30 minutes after periodontal mechanical treatment,there was still a need to take some hemostatic measures (containing the oxidized cellulose putting in the periodontal pocket,gauze oppressing,and suturing).Nd:YAG laser was used to stop bleeding 60 minutes after operation.Results:At baseline,there was no significant difference in the three groups,as to the plaque index (PLI),the probing depth (PD),and the attachment loss (AL).The bleeding index (BI)in group A was significantly higher than that in group C (P =0.024),higher than that in group B (P =0.088).The platelet maximum aggregation rate (Aggmax) was detected in some subjects.The average Aggmax value group A was 15.2％,which was much greater than that in group B (60.7％) and group C (62.5 ％).The three groups were all safe in the treatment of periodontal therapy.There were five cases of active bleeding in group A,one case in group B and one case in group C in 30 minutes after operation.In 60 minutes after operation,there was one case of bleeding actively in group A.Nd:YAG laser was used to stop bleeding successfully.Conclusion:The chronic periodontitis and coronary heart disease patients with long-term oral administration of low dose of aspirin can be safely treated with periodontal mechanical treatment,and the effect of local hemostasis is positive without stopping the drug.
ABSTRACT
Background The objective of this study was to compare the level differences of mRNA transcription and protein expression of PPARγ, FAS and HSL in different parts of the carcass in different tail-type sheep. Six Tan sheep and six Shaanbei fine-wool sheep aged 9 months were slaughtered and samples were collected from the tail adipose, subcutaneous adipose, and longissimus dorsi muscle. The levels of mRNA transcription and protein expression of the target genes in these tissues were determined by real-time quantitative PCR and western blot analyses. Results The results showed that PPARγ, FAS, and HSL were expressed with spatial differences in tail adipose, subcutaneous adipose and longissimus dorsi muscle of Tan sheep and Shaanbei fine-wool sheep. Differences were also observed between the two breeds. The mRNA transcription levels of these genes were somewhat consistent with their protein expression levels. Conclusion The present results indicated that PPARγ, FAS and HSL are correlated with fat deposition, especially for the regulating of adipose deposition in intramuscular fat, and that the mRNA expression patterns are similar to the protein expression patterns. The mechanism requires clarification in further studies.
Subject(s)
Animals , Sheep , Sterol Esterase/genetics , PPAR gamma/genetics , Fatty Acid Synthases/genetics , Tail , Transcription, Genetic , RNA, Messenger , Blotting, Western , Sterol Esterase/metabolism , PPAR gamma/metabolism , Fatty Acid Synthases/metabolism , Real-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
Background The objective of this study was to investigate proliferator-activated receptor (PPARγ), fatty acid synthase (FAS) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) mRNA and protein expression in fat tails of Tan sheep. Rams from different developmental stages (aged 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 months) were selected, and their tail measurements including length (L), width (W) and girth (G) were recorded. The mRNA and protein expressions of PPARγ, FAS and HSL were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot. Results The tail measurements increased with age. We observed no significant differences (P > 0.05) of PPARγ mRNA expression between ages 9 and 15 months, and between 12 and 15 months; FAS mRNA expression levels at each developmental stage were observed significantly in Tan sheep (P < 0.05); HSL mRNA expression with no significant differences were only observed between 6 and 15 months (P > 0.05). Significant differences (P < 0.05) of PPARγ, FAS and HSL protein expressions at each developmental stage were observed in Tan sheep. Conclusion We observed that the mRNA expression patterns of PPARγ and FAS decreased first before they increased again and then this process repeated. Conversely, the mRNA expression patterns of HSL increased first before they decreased and then this process repeated. The protein expression patterns of PPARγ and FAS decreased first before they increased again and then this process repeated. Conversely, the protein expression pattern of HSL increased first before it decreased again and then increased again.
Subject(s)
Animals , Sheep/growth & development , Sheep/genetics , Proteins/metabolism , Sterol Esterase/metabolism , PPAR gamma/metabolism , Fatty Acid Synthases/metabolism , Transcription Factors , RNA, Messenger , Blotting, Western , Sterol Esterase/genetics , PPAR gamma/genetics , Fatty Acid Synthases/genetics , Real-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the relationship between glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)and carotid artery atheroscle-rosis in aged patients with normal glucose tolerance.Methods:A total of 100 aged patients with normal glucose tolerance were selected.Their bilateral carotid arteries were measured by color Doppler ultrasonography.They were grouped accord-ing to carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT,normal,thicken and atherosclerosis)and plaque form (no plaque,hard plaque and soft plaque);blood pressure,blood lipids and HbA1c etc.were compared among groups.Results: (1)Along with CIMT rose,there was significant increase in HbA1c level [(4.98 ± 0.55)% vs.(5.51 ± 0.42)% vs.(5.92 ± 0.39)%],and there was significant difference between any two groups (P<0.01 all);(2)HbA1c level was (5.36±0.51)%,(5.89±0.44)% and (5.97±0.2)% in no plaque group,hard plaque group and soft plaque group respectively,and there was significant difference among hard plaque group,soft plaque group and no plaque group (P <0.01 all).Conclu-sion:Glycosylated hemoglobin may become an important index assessing carotid atherosclerosis in aged people.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The experimental studies of venous thromboembolism (VTE) as an entity and the response of the pulmonary arterial endothelium after VTE are still rare. The objective of this study was to observe changes in the pulmonary arterial endothelium using a novel rat model of VTE.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rats were allocated to the VTE (n = 54) or control groups (n = 9). The left femoral vein was blocked using a microvessel clip to form deep vein thrombosis (DVT). One, four or seven-day-old thrombi were injected into the right femoral vein to induce DVT-pulmonary thromboembolism (DVT-PTE). The rats were sacrificed 1, 4 or 7 days later (D(n(1,4,7)) P(n(1,4,7)) subgroups (n = 6)), and the lungs were examined using light and electron microscopy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>On gross dissection, the rate of DVT formation was higher on day 1 (D(1)P(n): 100%, 18/18) than day 4 (D(4)P(n): 83%, 15/18; χ(2) = 5.900, P = 0.015) or day 7 (D(7)P(n): 44%, 8/18; χ(2) = 13.846, P = 0.000). On gross dissection, the positive emboli residue rate in the pulmonary arteries was lower in the D(1)P(n) subgroup (39%, 7/18) than the D(4)P(n) (73%, 11/15; χ(2) = 3.915, P = 0.048) and D(7)P(n) subgroups (100%, 8/8; χ(2) = 8.474, P = 0.004); however, light microscopy indicated the residual emboli rate was similar in all subgroups. Hyperplasia of the pulmonary arterial endothelium was observed 4 and 7 days after the injection of one-day-old or four-day-old thrombi. However, regions without pulmonary arterial endothelial cells and intra-elastic layers were observed one day after injection of seven-day-old thrombi.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This novel model closely simulates the clinical situations of thrombus formation and is ideal to study pulmonary endothelial cell activation. The outcome of emboli and pulmonary arterial endothelial alterations are related to the age and nature of the thrombi.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Rats , Disease Models, Animal , Endothelium, Vascular , Pathology , Pulmonary Artery , Pathology , Pulmonary Embolism , Pathology , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Venous Thromboembolism , PathologyABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a new method for sperm sorting by imitating the physiological process of sperm-cervical mucus interaction on the microfluidic chip.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We designed a microfluidic chip to imitate the physiological process of natural sperm sorting in the microchannel based on the interaction between sperm and cervical mucus, and obtained motile sperm after the interaction. Meanwhile, we established an integrated real-time sperm detection reservoir on this chip to determine sperm parameters using the computer-assisted sperm analysis system. We analyzed 30 samples using both microfluidic and swim-up methods, and compared the results with those obtained before sorting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The rate of grade a + b sperm, the rate of morphologically normal sperm, straight-line velocity (VSL), average path velocity (VAP) and straightness (STR) were (29.78 +/- 11.24)%, (8.00 +/- 5.19)%, (18.89 +/- 4.90) microm/s, (26.84 +/- 5.13) microm/s and (70.15 +/- 7.61)%, respectively, before sorting, (71.65 +/- 11.18)%, (14.95 +/- 6.79)%, (24.14 +/- 5.95) microm/s, (32.61 +/- 6.36) microm/s and (73.87 +/- 9.34)%, respectively, after swim-up sorting, and (92.37 +/- 6.33)%, (23.33 +/- 7.67)%, (34.03 +/- 16.78) microm/s, (38.73 +/- 16.40) microm/s and (84.91 +/- 12.56)%, respectively, after sorting on the microfluidic chip. The sperm parameters obtained before sorting showed statistically significant differences from those obtained on the chip (P < 0.01) and by the swim-up method (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Imitation of the physiological interaction between sperm and cervical mucus on the microfluidic chip helped the realization of both the natural sorting and real-time analysis of sperm. The quality of the sperm sorted on the microfluidic chip is significantly better than that of the sperm before sorting and sorted by the swim-up method. This has prepared the ground for imitating the fertilization process under the physiological condition on the microfluidic chip.</p>
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Cell Movement , Cell Separation , Cervix Mucus , Microfluidic Analytical Techniques , Microfluidics , Methods , Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis , Semen Analysis , Sperm Motility , Physiology , Spermatozoa , PhysiologyABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) have been recently shown to play important roles in bone resorption. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between the expression of bone resorption regulators (RANKL and OPG) and inflammatory cell infiltration in chronic apical periodontitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The samples of chronic periapical lesions (n = 40) and healthy periapical tissues (n = 10) were examined for immunohistochemical analysis of RANKL and OPG. Lesion samples were further analyzed for the inflammatory infiltration condition. The inflammatory cell infiltration was scored in relation to immunohistochemical reactivity for CD3, CD20 and CD68.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The number of RANKL-positive cells and the ratio of RANKL/OPG in chronic apical periodontitis were significantly higher than those in healthy periapical tissues (P < 0.001). The number of RANKL-positive cells was higher in lesions with severe inflammatory infiltration than in those with light inflammatory infiltration (P < 0.05). Significantly increased RANKL expression was found with T lymphocytes (CD3(+)), macrophages (CD68(+)) and B lymphocytes (CD20(+)) infiltration (P < 0.05). No association was found between the ratio of RANKL/OPG and inflammatory cell infiltration.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>RANKL expression was increased with T, B lymphocytes and macrophages infiltration, respectively in chronic periapical lesions. RANKL appears to be closely related to periapical inflammatory infiltrates. The relative ratio of RANKL/OPG may be a key determinant of RANKL-mediated bone resorption.</p>
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Chronic Periodontitis , Allergy and Immunology , Pathology , Immunohistochemistry , In Vitro Techniques , Inflammation , Metabolism , Osteoprotegerin , Metabolism , RANK Ligand , MetabolismABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical value of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for breast cancer surgery.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>FNAC was performed in 530 patients highly suspected of breast cancer from January 2004 to January 2009 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The FNAC-positive cases received radical operation directly, while the negative cases received open biopsy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of all 530 cases, 325 cases were FNAC-positive, and the diseases were histopathologically confirmed to be malignant. Among 205 FNAC-negative cases, 137 cases were histopathologically confirmed to be malignant and 68 benign.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>FNAC is useful in the deciding surgical modes for women with potentially malignant diseases.</p>
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Biopsy, Fine-Needle , Breast Neoplasms , Pathology , General SurgeryABSTRACT
Objective To explore the diagnosis and treatment of solid-pseudopapillary tumor of pancreas (SPTP).Methods The clinical data of 10 cases of SPTP treated from Feb.2003 to Feb.2009 in China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University were retrospectively analyzed.Results All the 10 cases underwent abdominal ultrasound examination and the accurate rate was 30％,and 6 of them underwent abdominal CT examination as well and the diagnosis accurate rate was 16.7％.All patients underwent surgery and pancreatic fistula occurred in 1 case after operation.There was no recurrence during the postoperative follow-up of 3-70 months.Conclusions SPTP has a low clinical incidence and it is frequently seen in young females.SPTP has no specific clinical manifestation.Imaging examinations play important roles in its diagnosis.SPTP can be found in any part of the pancreas.Resection is the first choice of treatment.The surgery extent depends on the position of SPTP and its surrounding tissues.If the intraoperative pathological examination shows the possibility of malignancy,radical surgery resection should be considered.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the occurrence of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) after surgical procedures to attract more attention to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of this disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Retrospectively analyze the clinical data of the hospitalized patients with post-surgical PTE from June 2004 to February 2009. The average age of the 45 cases was (60 +/- 16) years old, 35 cases received anticoagulant therapy and 6 cases received thrombolytic therapy, the other 4 cases only received emergency medical treatment. Analyze the data about the surgery category, duration, anaesthetic way, risk factors, clinical symptoms, auxiliary examinations, diagnosis, treatment and turnover of these patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the total 45 cases of post-surgical PTE, 37 cases (82.2%) occurred within 2 weeks, it accounted for 13.2% (45/341) of the hospitalized PTE patients during that period. PTE was often seen in patients after major surgical operation such as general (35.6%), gynecological (13.3%), orthopedic (13.3%) and chest surgery, especially the surgery related to malignant tumor (57.8%). The average surgical duration was (220 +/- 124) min, 37 cases (82.2%) was given general anaesthesia. The clinical manifestations and auxiliary examinations results of post-surgical PTE were not typical. Thirty-six cases improved after treatment, 9 cases died and the case fatality ratio was 20.0% (9/45).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Surgical procedure is an important risk factor of PTE. The prevention diagnosis and treatment of post-surgical PTE should be paid more attention to.</p>
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Postoperative Complications , Diagnosis , Therapeutics , Prognosis , Pulmonary Embolism , Diagnosis , Therapeutics , Retrospective Studies , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Currently, several systems of dentin substrate-reacting adhesives are available for use in the restorative treatment against caries. However, the bond effectiveness and property of different adhesive systems to caries-affected dentin are not fully understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the bond strength of different adhesives to both normal dentin (ND) and caries-affected dentin (CAD) and to analyze the dentin/adhesive interfacial characteristics.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty eight extracted human molars with coronal medium carious lesions were randomly assigned to four groups according to adhesives used. ND and CAD were bonded with etch-and-rinse adhesive Adper Single Bond 2 (SB2) or self-etching adhesives Clearfil SE Bond (CSE), Clearfil S(3) Bond (CS3), iBond GI (IB). Rectangular sticks of resin-dentin bonded interfaces 0.9 mm(2) were obtained. The specimens were subjected to microtensile bond strength (microTBS) testing at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. Mean microTBS was statistically analyzed with analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student-Newman-Keuls tests. Interfacial morphologies were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Etch-and-rinse adhesive Adper(TM) Single Bond 2 yielded high bond strength when applied to both normal and caries-affected dentin. The two-step self-etching adhesive Clearfil SE Bond generated the highest bond strength to ND among all adhesives tested but a significantly reduced strength when applied to CAD. For the one-step self-etching adhesives, Clearfil S(3) Bond and iBond GI, the bond strength was relatively low regardless of the dentin type. SEM interfacial analysis revealed that hybrid layers were thicker with poorer resin tag formation and less resin-filled lateral branches in the CAD than in the ND for all the adhesives tested.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The etch-and-rinse adhesive performed more effectively to caries-affected dentin than the self-etching adhesives.</p>
Subject(s)
Humans , Adhesives , Dental Bonding , Methods , Dentin , Microscopy, Electron, Scanning , Molar , Tensile StrengthABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To enhance the understanding of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) in patients with cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>from January 2005 to July 2008, sixty patients diagnosed as pulmonary thromboembolism in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The primary cancers were from respiratory system (36.7%), digestive system (26.7%), urogenital system (10.0%), hematological system (8.3%) and nervous system (5.0%), respectively, especially from such organ as lung (30.0%), stomach (8.3%), pancreas (6.7%), liver (5.0%) and so on. 12 of 18 patients (66.7%) with lung cancer were adenocarcinoma. There were 47 patients (78.3%) with advanced cancer. Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) occurred in 30 patients (50.0%). Of them 24 patients (80.0%) occurred in the lower limb, and 3 patients (10%) in the upper limb, 5 patients (16.7%) in other sites including 2 cases with thrombi in both upper and lower limbs, respectively. There were 2 patients (3.3%) accompanied with femoral artery embolism. PTE before tumor diagnosed occurred in 5 patients (8.3%) with an average time of 5.5 months. 22 patients underwent cancer-related operation and 17 patients (77.3%) had PTE in the later 2 weeks. 15 patients (25.0%) showed no symptoms. Arterial oxygen partial pressure was reduced in 49 patients (84.5%). 13 patients (21.7%) died and 6 cases of them were sudden death. 8 patients (13.3%) aggravated. 39 patients (65.0%) improved.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PTE is one of the major complications and leading causes of death in patients with cancer. Of which lung cancer is most commonly, pulmonary adenocarcinoma in particular. PTE is often accompanied by DVT in the lower extremity. Risk factors may be old age, cancer progression and cancer-related operation. Other factors include long time in bed, chemotherapy and central vein catheterization, and so on. It should be watchful of PTE in cancer patients undergoing operation, especially within the first two postoperative weeks. Its clinical manifestation is often atypical. Sometimes venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the first signal of malignancy. In patients with unexplained PTE and/or DVT, attention should be paid to the possibility of malignancy. The first choice of anticoagulants is low molecular weight heparin.</p>