Finite element analysis for self-made femoral head brace device in the treatment of early femoral head necrosis / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Core decompression for early adult ischemic necrosis of femoral head gets the identity of most scholars, but the postoperative femoral head easily experiences collapse. How to prevent collapse is still a problem to be solved currently. OBJECTIVE: To perform biomechanical analysis of femoral head ischemic necrosis by using the finite element method and to provide biomechanical basis for the treatment of early adult femoral head necrosis. METHODS: One fresh femur specimen died of accidental death in youth and young adults was obtained, and no deformity or fracture was found. X-ray confirmed that it did not have tumor or osteoporosis. Spiral CT was used to scan normal femoral head and neck, pulp core decompression of femoral head and neck, brace device placement and bone-graft of femoral head and neck for acquiring image data from the proximal to distal vertical longitudinal axis. Scanning data were input in the Mimics software. Finite element method was utilized for biomechanical analysis of femoral head and neck of three models. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The stress dispersal and downward conduction of normal femoral head was concentrated in the shaft of the femur and the tensile stress was concentrated in the rotor socket. (2) After pulp core decompression, the stress concentration, displacement and strain increased in the weight-bearing area of femoral head. (3) The stress of the internal bracing was similar to that of normal femoral head. (4) The stress of weight bearing area of femoral head is concentrated, and the strain is increased, so that weight bearing area is easy to collapse after pulp core decompression. The more stress distribution, more bearing load and less strain of implant and bone graft model, are conformed to the normal mechanical properties of the normal femoral head and neck.

effect of erectile dysfunction on quality of life in male kidney transplant recipients

To assess how erectile dysfunction [ED] affects the quality of life in male kidney transplant recipients. We randomly selected 150 cases of married male kidney transplant recipients. Using the International Index of Erectile Function [IIEF-5] Questionnaire, we divided our research subjects into ED group [n=63] and non-ED group [n = 87]. The Short-Form health survey [SF-36] was used to evaluate the quality of life of the recipients. Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale was used to compare the mental health status of the two groups. No significant differences [P > 0.05] were observed between the ED and non-ED groups in physical functioning [PF], role-physical [RP], or bodily pain [BP]. However, the ED group exhibited a lower score [P < 0.05] than the non-ED group in general health [GH], vitality, social functioning [SF], role emotional [RE] and mental health [MH]. There were 13 cases in the ED group with anxiety disorders [20.6%], which was clearly more than in the non-ED group [3.4%, P < 0.05]. Erectile dysfunction is an important factor in the quality of life of male kidney transplant recipients

Immunosuppression of human amniotic mesenchymal cells on allogeneic peripheral blood lymphocytes / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the immunoregulatory effects of human amniotic mesenchymal cells (hAMCs) on allogeneic peripheral blood lymphocytes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The hAMCs were isolated from abandoned human amnion. Peripheral blood mononuclear lymphocytes (PBMLs) were separated from healthy donors by density gradient centrifugation. Then, PBMLs were treated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and different concentrations of hAMCs. Proliferation effect of PBMLs was tested using MTS assay, and production of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha by PBMLs was detected by ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>hAMCs could remarkably inhibit the lymphocytes proliferation. When the ratios of hAMCs to PBMLs were 0.05: 1, 0.10 :1, 0.20: 1, the inhibitory rates of PBMLs proliferation were 16.91%, 20.83% and 28.19%, respectively. HAMCs also decreased the production of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha by PBMLs in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>HAMCs could inhibit the proliferation of allogeneic lymphocytes and reduce secretion of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, which might be one of the mechanism for prevention and remission of transplant rejection.</p>

Therapeutic effects of ghrelin and growth hormone releasing peptide 6 on gastroparesis in streptozotocin-induced diabetic guinea pigs in vivo and in vitro / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Diabetic gastroparesis is a disabling condition with no consistently effective treatment. In normal animals, both ghrelin and its synthetic peptide, growth hormone releasing peptide 6 (GHRP-6), increase gastric emptying. Thus, we investigated the potential therapeutic significance of ghrelin and GHRP-6 in diabetic guinea pigs with gastric motility disorders.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A diabetic guinea pig model was produced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 280 mg/kg). Diabetic guinea pigs were injected i.p. with ghrelin or GHRP-6 (10 - 100 microg/kg), and the effects on gastric emptying were measured after intragastric application of phenol red. The effect of atropine or a growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R) antagonist, D-Lys(3)-GHRP-6, on the gastroprokinetic effects of ghrelin or GHRP-6 (100 microg/kg) was also investigated. Further, the in vitro effects of ghrelin or GHRP-6 (0.01 - 10 micromol/L) on spontaneous or carbachol-induced contractile amplitude in gastric fundic circular strips taken from diabetic guinea pigs were examined. Growth hormone secretagogue receptor transcripts in the fundic strips of diabetic guinea pigs were detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>We established a guinea pig model of delayed gastric emptying. Ghrelin (20, 50, or 100 microg/kg) and GHRP-6 (20, 50, or 100 microg/kg) accelerated gastric emptying in diabetic guinea pigs with gastroparesis (n = 6, P < 0.05). In the presence of atropine, which delayed gastric emptying, ghrelin and GHRP-6 (100 microg/kg) failed to accelerate gastric emptying (n = 6, P < 0.05). D-Lys(3)-GHRP-6 also delayed gastric emptying induced by the GHS-R agonist (n = 6, P < 0.05). Ghrelin and GHRP-6 increased the carbachol-induced contractile amplitude in gastric fundic strips taken from diabetic guinea pigs (n = 6, P < 0.05). RT-PCR confirmed the presence of GHS-R mRNA in the strip preparations.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Ghrelin and GHRP-6 increased gastric emptying in diabetic guinea pigs with gastroparesis, potentially, by activating the peripheral cholinergic pathways in the enteric nervous system.</p>

Effect and mechanism of ghrelin and its synthetic peptide growth hormone releasing peptide 6 on gastric motor in mice / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect and mechanism of ghrelin and its synthetic peptide GHRP-6 on gastric motor in mice.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In vivo, the dose-dependent effects of ghrelin (20,50,100,200 mug/kg) and GHRP-6 (20,50,100,200 mug/kg) on gastric emptying were measured by intragastric application of phenol red test which was adapted for use in mice. The effects of atropine, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), and D-Lys(3)-GHRP-6 (GHS-R antagonist) on the gastric motor induced by ghrelin and GHRP-6 (100 mug/kg) were also investigated. In vitro, the effects of ghrelin (0.01,0.1,1.0,10.0 mumol/L) and GHRP-6 (0.01,0.1,1.0,10.0 mumol/L) on spontaneous contraction of mice fundic muscle strips were studied as well.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both ghrelin (50,100,200 mug/kg) and GHRP-6 (50,100,200 mug/kg) significantly accelerated gastric emptying (P<0.05), but they failed to accelerate gastric emptying in the presence of atropine, L-NAME and D-Lys(3)-GHRP-6 (P<0.05). Ghrelin (0.1, 1.0, 10.0 mumol/L) and GHRP-6 (0.1, 1.0, 10.0 mumol/L) induced significant contraction of fundic muscle strips in concentration-dependent manner (P<0.05), which could be blocked by tetrodotoxin.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ghrelin and its synthetic peptide GHRP-6 accelerate gastric emptying perhaps by activating GHS-R of cholinergic excitatory pathways and nitrergic nervous pathways in the enteric nervous system.</p>

Presence of donor-and-recipient-derived DNA microchimerism in the cell-free blood samples of renal transplantation recipients associates with the acceptance of transplanted kidneys / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>AIM</b>To examine whether the existence of the donor-and recipient-derived DNA chimerism in recipient's plasma can be a predictive marker for the status of transplanted organ.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and twenty-six female patients who had been transplanted with male kidneys were enrolled in the present study. In these female recipients, the SRY(1), DYZ(1)(1st) and DYZ(1)(2nd) genes on the Y chromosome from the plasma were prospectively examined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>SRY, DYZ(1)(1st) and DYZ(1)(2nd) sequences were detected in the cell-free blood (plasma) of 97 (77%) of 126 female patients with male kidney. The average time that the transplanted kidneys functioned was 8.7 years and 5.4 years among microchimerism-positive and microchimerism-negative recipients, respectively. The frequency of the patients who had acute rejection after renal transplantation was approximately 10% and 28% in microchimerism-positive and microchimerism-negative recipients, respectively. Serum creatinine levels in microchimerism-positive patients were significantly lower than those in microchimerism-negative patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These results suggest that plasma DNA microchimerism present in certain patients following renal transplantation and measurement of plasma DNA microchimerism using quantitative RT-PCR might be a useful predictor for the acceptance of transplanted kidneys.</p>

Inhibitory effect of anti-type IV collagenase intrabody on invasiveness of human pulmonary giant cell carcinoma PG cells in vitro / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the inhibitory effects of endoplasmic reticulum-retained intrabody on the secretion of type IV collagenase and the invasion of human pulmonary giant cell carcinoma PG cells in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two expression plasmids were constructed, pcDNA3.1-CP.scFv and pcDNA3.1-ER.scFv encoding cytoplasm-retained and endoplasmic reticulum-retained single chain antibodies against the type IV collagenase, respectively. The intracellular antibody genes were transfected into the human pulmonary giant cell carcinoma PG cells. Western blot was performed to detect the expression of pcDNA3.1-CP.scFv and pcDNA3.1-ER.scFv. Gelatin zymography was performed to detect seretion of type IV collagenase in PG cells and Matrigel assay was employed for determination of the cell invasiveness.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both of cytoplasm-retained and endoplasmic reticulum-retained introbodies, CP.scFv and ER.scFv, were expressed in PG cells. ER.scFv, significantly inhibited the secretion of type IV collegenase. As shown, matrix metalloproteinase 9 and matrix metalloproteinase 2 were inhibited by 85.7% and by 51.2%, respectively. However, CP.scFv did not show such inhibitory effect. The ER.scFv encoding gene-transfected PG cells were much less invasive than parental or vector control cells, the inhibition rate was 76.3% (P < 0.05), whereas CP.scFv encoding gene-transfected PG cells showed no reduction in invasiveness.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Those findings demonstrate that endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-retained intracellular antibody technology may selectively abrogate the activity of type IV collagenase in the protein trafficking and secretory pathway and effectively inhibit tumor cell invasion in vitro. Anti-type IV collagenase intrabody may be further used in cancer gene therapy.</p>

Single plane Simpson's method for measurement of right ventricular volume by X-ray ventriculography / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the validity of single plane Simpson's method with conventional X-ray ventriculography for estimation of right ventricular (RV) volume.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifteen human RV casts were obtained from 15 subjects who died from non-cardiac causes within 24 hours after death. These casts were photographed respectively and their volumes were calculated by using the single plane Simpson's method based on a new half-circle model. The actual RV cast volumes were determined by water displacement method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The actual RV volume was (64.23 +/- 24.51) ml and the calculated volume was (58.04 +/- 24.45) ml. The calculated RV volume underestimated the actual volume by (6.19 +/- 12.38) ml, but there was no significant difference between the actual and the calculated RV volume (P > 0.05). There was a significant correlation between the actual cast volume and the calculated volume (r = 0.983, P < 0.01). The regression equation was: RV actual volume = 1.074 x (RV calculated volume).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>RV volume calculated by single plane Simpson's method with conventional X-ray ventriculography is accurate and deserves further study.</p>