Relationship between immune regulation and structure of polysaccharides / 中国中药杂志

Polysaccharides have significant immunomodulatory activity and have good development value in food and medicine fields. At present, there are many studies on the chemical structure and immune activity of polysaccharides, but the relationship between them of polysaccharides has not been fully explained, which limits the further development and utilization of polysaccharide resources. The immune activity of polysaccharides is closely related to their own structure. This paper systematically summarized the relationship between the relative molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, glycosidic bond types, chemical modification, and advanced conformation of polysaccharides and the immune regulation, aiming to provide references for the profound study of polysaccharide structure-activity relationship and utilization of polysaccharides.

Effect of Albiziae Flos and Polygalae Radix Alone and Their Combination on Depression-like Behavior and CREB and NOX2 Expression in Hippocampus of Chronic Unpredictable Stress-induced Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the effects of Albiziae Flos （AF） and Polygalae Radix （PR） alone and their combination on the improvement of depression-like behavior in rats with chronic unpredictable stress （CUS） as well as on hippocampal ultrastructure and the expression of cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein （CREB） and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 2 （NOX2）， to explore their action mechanisms. Method:Seventy-two Wistar rats were randomly divided into the normal group， model group， AF group， PR group， AF-PR group， and fluoxetine group. Rats in all groups except for the normal group were exposed to CUS and separated feeding to induce depression. Since the first day of modeling， rats in the AF group， PR group， AF-PR group were provided with the corresponding decoction containing 1.05 g·kg^-1 total crude drug by gavage， the ones in the fluoxetine group with 2.1 mg·kg^-1 fluoxetine hydrochloride aqueous solution， and those in the normal group and model group with the distilled water， for 28 successive days. The open field test and forced swimming test were performed 1 d before modeling and 7， 14， 21， 28 d after modeling， respectively. The morphological changes in hippocampus were observed under an electron microscope on the 28^th day. The superoxide dismutase （SOD） and malondialdehyde （MDA） levels in hippocampus were detected by ultraviolet spectrophotometry， and the expression levels of CREB and NOX2 were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot. Result:The behavioral experiment results showed that the number of horizontal activities and sugar water consumption in the model group declined as compared with those in the normal group， while the immobility time in the forced swimming test was prolonged （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the model group， the AF group， PR group， and AF-PR group exhibited elevated number of horizontal activities， increased sugar water consumption but shortened immobility time in the forced swimming test （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the AF group or PR group， the AF-PR group showed significantly different behavioral indexes （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Morphological results showed that the mitochondria of the model group were obviously swollen and the ultrastructure of the hippocampus was destroyed. By contrast， the hippocampal ultrastructure in each administration group was close to normal. The comparison with the normal group revealed that the activity of SOD in the hippocampus of the model group was significantly reduced， whereas the content of MDA was elevated （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the model group， the AF group， PR group， and AF-PR group displayed increased activity of SOD and decreased content of MDA in the hippocampal tissues （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with AF or PR alone， the herbal pair AF-PR resulted in significant differences in the above-mentioned indexes （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. The results of Real-time PCR and Western blot demonstrated that NOX2 expression in the hippocampus of the model group was up-regulated in comparison with that in the normal group， while the CREB expression was down-regulated （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the model group， the AF group， PR group， and AF-PR group all showed diminished NOX2 expression but elevated CREB expression in the hippocampal tissues （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. The protein expression levels of NOX2 and CREB in the AF group or PR group were significantly different from those in the AF-PR group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:AF and PR alone and their combination improve the depression-like behavior of rats exposed to CUS， which may be related to the reduction of oxidative stress， the up-regulation of CREB expression， and the down-regulation of NOX2 expression in hippocampus.

Adherence to adjuvant with therapy imatinib in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor: a national multi-center cross-sectional study / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To analyze the current adherence to imatinib in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) in China and its influencing factors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Study period: from October 1, 2020 to November 31, 2020. Study subjects: GIST patients taking imatinib who were diagnosed and treated in public tertiary level A general hospitals or oncology hospitals; those who had not been pathologically diagnosed, those who never received imatinib, or those who had taken imatinib in the past but stopped afterwards were excluded. The Questionnaire Star online surgery platform was used to design a questionnaire about the adherence to adjuvant imatinib therapy of Chinese GIST patients. The link of questionnaire was sent through WeChat. The questionnaire contained basic information of patients, medication status and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Results: A total of 2162 questionnaires from 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities were collected, of which 2005 were valid questionnaires, with an effective rate of 92.7%. The survey subjects included 1104 males and 901 females, with a median age of 56 (22-91) years old. Working status: 609 cases (30.4%) in the work unit, 729 cases (36.4%) of retirement, 667 cases of flexible employment or unemployment (33.3%). Education level: 477 cases (23.8%) with bachelor degree or above, 658 cases (32.8%) of high school, 782 cases (39.0%) of elementary or junior high school, 88 cases (4.4%) without education. Marital status: 1789 cases (89.2%) were married, 179 cases (8.9%) divorced or widowed, 37 cases (1.8%) unmarried. Two hundred and ninety-four patients (14.7%) had metastasis when they were first diagnosed, including 203 liver metastases, 52 peritoneal metastases, and 39 other metastases. One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine patients underwent surgical treatment, of whom 1642 (81.9%) achieved complete resection. The median time of taking imatinib was 25 (1-200) months. Common adverse reactions of imatinib included 1701 cases (84.8%) of periorbital edema, 1031 cases (51.4%) of leukopenia, 948 cases (47.3%) of fatigue, 781 cases (39.0%) of nausea and vomiting, 709 cases (35.4%) of rash, and 670 cases (33.4%) of lower extremity edema. The score of the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale showed that 392 cases (19.6%) had poor adherence, 1023 cases (51.0%) had moderate adherence, and 590 cases (29.4%) had good adherence. Univariate analysis showed that gender, age, work status, economic income, residence, education level, marriage, the duration of taking medication and adverse reactions were associated with adherence to adjuvant imatinib therapy (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that female (OR=1.264, P=0.009), non-retirement (OR=1.454, P=0.001), monthly income ≤4000 yuan (OR=1.280, P=0.036), township residents (OR=1.332, P=0.005), unmarried or divorced or widowed (OR=1.362, P=0.026), the duration of imatinib medication >36 months (OR=1.478, P<0.001) and adverse reactions (OR=1.719, P=0.048) were independent risk factors for poor adherence to adjuvant imatinib. Among patients undergoing complete resection, 324 (19.7%) had poor adherence, 836 (50.9%) had moderate adherence, and 482 (29.4%) had good adherence. Meanwhile, 55 patients with good adherence (11.4%) developed recurrence after surgery, 121 patients with moderate adherence (14.5%) developed recurrence, 61 patients with poor adherence (18.8%) developed recurrence, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.017). Conclusions: The adherence to adjuvant therapy with imatinib in Chinese GIST patients is relatively poor. Females, non-retirement, monthly income ≤4000 yuan, township residents, unmarried or divorced or widowed, the duration of imatinib medication >36 months, and adverse reactions are independently associated with poor adherence of GIST patients. Those with poor adherence have a higher risk of recurrence after surgery. Positive interventions based on the above risk factors are advocated to improve the prognosis of patients with GIST.

Research Progress of Metabolomics in Forensic Pathology / 法医学杂志

Metabolomics is an interdisciplinary subject that rose in the post-genomic era, which focuses on quantitative study of the response of living organisms to outside stimulation and pathophysiological changes, as well as multiple dynamic response of the level of in vivo metabolites caused by genetic mutation. It is extensively used in basic research of system biology, materia medica, clinical medicine, etc. In the forensic field, metabolomics mainly focuses on forensic toxicology, but with the generalization of certain techniques, it's foreseeable that metabolomics has a broad research prospect in forensic pathology. This article summarizes the major analysis techniques and methods of metabolomics, describes the research status of metabolomic techniques in the field of forensic pathology application research, including postmortem interval and death cause. Moreover, this article summarizes and discusses the potential applicable areas, in order to provide reference for relative research and application.

Druggability enhancement by modification of physicochemical properties of drugs via crystal engineering / 药学学报

The solubility/dissolution, hygroscopicity and mechanical properties of drug candidates have a profound effect on oral bioavailability, processability and stability. The physicochemical properties of crystalline drug are closely related to inner crystal structure. Crystal engineering technologies, as strategies of altering the crystal structure and tailoring physicochemical properties at molecular level, possess the potential of enhancing the pharmaceutical performance of product. The current article reviewed the modification of drug solubility/dissolution, hygroscopicity and mechanical properties by crystal engineering technologies through polymorphic selection, amorphization/co-amorphization, as well as co-crystallization, which provided a reference for the applications of pharmaceutical crystallography in improving physicochemical properties and druggability.

Physiological - psycho - social three dimensional aging index and scale construction / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective Constructing physiological-psycho-social three dimensional aging index system, and scale to provide a basis for evaluating the effects of human aging and anti-aging measures. Methods Evaluation, modification and determination of the second and third level indexed by Delphi and principal component analysis and other methods. The weight of each index was weighted by the analytic hierarchy process, and the reliability and validity were calculated on the basis of the preliminary scale. A large sample of empirical studied to determine the aging of different age groups standardized score distribution table. The best model for judging functional age was sought, based on a variety of biostatistical models. Results The aging scale was constructed by three levels, the first level included 3 indicators, the second level had 10 indicators, the third level included 51 indicators, and adopted by expert certification the national society. 3 184 valid questionnaires were obtained through epidemiological investigation, the average total score of aging was (46.93±11.07) points, and the scores of aging were positively correlated with age(r=0.785, P<0.001). The average scores of aging in each dimension were different and the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.001), and each dimension had significant difference with age. The growth model (R2=0.635) was selected, the curve of the relationship between the score of aging and age was fitted. Conclusions The three-dimensional human aging scale was scientific, feasible, and has good reliability and validity. The empirical results show that the comprehensive score of aging increase with age, and show certain characteristics and laws on the curve.

Evaluation of the aging status and distribution characteristics for male population by three-dimensional human aging scale / 中南大学学报(医学版)

To investigate the ageing status for male population aged or over 20 years old in urban communities, clarifying their distribution characteristics and rules, and to provide reference for aging research.
 Methods: A total of 1 120 men aged or over 20 years old in Nanchang were obtained by stratified sampling, and the aging scale was measured in 9 groups. The distribution characteristics of aging scores were analyzed by normality test, variance analysis, and linear correlation.
 Results: The total score of aging and the scores of physiological, psychological, and physiological dimensions were 54.01±9.24, 32.33±7.54, 14.66±1.64, and 7.02±1.16, respectively. The scores were positively correlated with age. The total score curve of aging was significantly increased in the 25-<30 and 30-<40, 65-<70 and 70-<75 years old groups. The physiological dimension curve was similar to the total score curve. The psychological dimension curve was more pronounced at 55-<60 and 60-<65 years old groups. The social dimension curve raised slowly and smoothly at all ages.
 Conclusion: The total score and the scores for all dimensions of male physiological-psycho-sociological increase with age; and changes near the age group of 55-<60 and 60-<65 are obvious, providing reference for the understanding of male aging.

Characteristics of distribution and changes of telomere length in human / 中南大学学报(医学版)

To explore the relationship between telomere length changes and age, and to provide data and reference for further study of geriatric medical problems.
 Methods: The healthy people over 20 years old were chosen as subject from several hospitals by random sampling method, and their peripheral blood samples were collected. The relative length of telomere was detected by quantitative real-time PCR, and the relationship between age and telomere length was analyzed by statistical software.
 Results: A total of 1 022 samples were obtained. There were significant differences in the relative telomere length among different age groups (F=21.492, P<0.001). Telomere length and age showed negative correlation (r=-0.325, P<0.001), the regression equation was y=-0.008x+1.772 (x for age, y for the average telomere length, P<0.001).
 Conclusion: The telomere length for peripheral blood leukocytes in healthy people varies between different age groups, suggesting that telomere length gradually decreases with age.

Comparison of Two Occlusion Devices for Treating Cryptogenic Stroke Patients Combining Patent Foramen Ovale and Large Right to Left Shunt / 中国循环杂志

Objectives: To compare the effect of 2 different occlusion devices for treating cryptogenic stroke (CS) patients combining patent foramen ovale (PFO) and large right-to-left shunt (RLS). Methods: A total of 123 CS patients combining PFO and large RLS treated in our hospital from 2013-05 to 2016-08 were enrolled. All patients received percutaneous PFO interventional closure, based on different occlusion devices, the patients were divided into 2 groups: Cardi-O-fix PFO occluder group, n=80 and Amplatzer PFO occluder group, n=43. CS diagnosis was confirmed by 3 experienced neurologists via medical imaging examination; PFO and large RLS were diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography and right heart contrast echocardiography. The baseline features, clinical symptoms, operation and follow-up data were reviewed to observe the efficacy of 2 occlusion devices. Results: Each group had 1 patient suffered from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation after the operation; 1 patient in Cardi-O-fix PFO occluder group had inguinal hematoma. No stroke recurrence, no death during follow-up period; the residual shunt was similar between 2 groups. Conclusions: PFO occlusion was beneficial for preventing stroke recurrence in CS patients combining PFO and large RLS. The safety and efficacy were similar in Cardi-O-fix and Amplatzer PFO occlusion devices.

Effect of neuregulin-1 on cardiomyocyte apoptosis and oxidative damage under hypoxia reoxygenation / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of NRG-1 on cardiomyocyte apoptosis and oxidative damage under hypoxia reox-ygenation.Methods:The myocardial cell HCM was taken as the object of study.The hypoxia reoxygenation of myocardial cell model was established,and NRG-1 at dose of 0.8 mg/L was added before hypoxia.The cell viability was measured by MTT assay and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry.The level of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) in the supernatant was detected by 2,4-dinitrophe-nylhydrazine colorimetry assay,DCFH-DA method was used to detected ROS level,the level of MDA was measured by thiobarbituric acid method,the level of SOD was detected by xanthine oxidase method,and the protein levels of Akt and p-AktThr308were determined by Western blot.Results:The A values of the myocardial cells after hypoxia reoxygenation were changed from 0.66±0.03 to 0.36±0.04, the rate of apoptosis increased from (4.62±0.97)% to (29.07±3.43)%,the level of ROS increased from 69.29±7.96 to 280.84± 20.52,the levels of LDH and MDA also increased,and the levels of SOD and p-AktThr308/Akt decreased.After NRG-1 treatment,the A values of the cells were from 0.36±0.04 to 0.47±0.05,the rate of apoptosis decreased from (29.07±3.43)% to (19.76±3.41)%, the ROS levels decreased from 280.84±20.52 to 128.23±12.32,the levels of LDH and MDA also decreased,and the levels of SOD and p-Akt/Akt increased.Conclusion: NRG-1partly inhibits cardiomyocyte apoptosis and oxidative damage induced by hypoxia reoxygenation by affecting the protein levels of p-Akt/Akt in the cardiomyocytes.

Forensic Analysis of 24 Cases of Long-term Antipsychotics Use-Induced Sudden Unexpected Deaths / 法医学杂志

Objective To analyze the forensic characteristics of 24 psychiatric patients who died of long-term use of psychotropic drugs.Methods Cases of sudden death of psychiatric patients from2011 to 2016 were collected.The forensic characteristics of these sudden deaths were retrospectively analyzed by systematic investigation plus results of autopsy and toxics (drugs).Results Among the 24psychiatric patients who died of long-term use of psychotropic substances, the ratio of male to female was 1.7∶1, and the average age was (59.0±8.8) years.Fifteen patients had clear disease durations (14.4±8.2) years, and other the nine were known to have disease durations of over 3 years.The death time of 62.5％of patients was the daytime in working days, and 91.7％of the patients died at home.Most patients complained different degrees of physical discomfort before death.Patients with schizophrenia (20 cases) were the most common, followed by depression (4 cases).All patients had the history of taking psychotropic drugs, with clozapine and chlorpromazine being the mostly detected ones.The causes of death were mainly circulatory diseases (15 cases), with the most common being myocarditis (11 cases) followed by pneumonia (4 cases).Conclusion Critical attention should be paid to the risk of antipsychotics-induced sudden unexpected deaths for psychiatric patients, particularly for those with schizophrenia.

Transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects in children using a Wire-Drifting Technique

OBJECTIVE: Explore the feasibility and safety of transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects using a wire-drifting technique (WT) in children. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 121 pediatric patients diagnosed with perimembranous ventricular septal defects who underwent interventional treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from Dec 2011 to Dec 2014. Based on the method used for arteriovenous loop establishment during the procedure, the patients were divided into a conventional technique (CT) group and a WT group. RESULTS: In total, 51 of the 53 patients (96.2%) in the CT group and 66 of the 68 patients (97.1%) in the WT group achieved procedural success, with no significant difference between the two groups (p>0.05). The CT group showed a nonsignificantly higher one-time success rate of arteriovenous loop establishment (94.3% vs. 91.2%, p>0.05). The procedure time was 46.0 (14.0) min and 46.5 (10.0) min in the CT and WT groups, respectively. The CT procedure was discontinued in the 2 cases (3.8%) of intraprocedural atrioventricular block in the CT group. In the one case (1.9%) of postprocedural atrioventricular block in the CT group, a permanent pacemaker was implanted to resolve third-degree atrioventricular block three months after the procedure. In the WT group, no cases of intraprocedural atrioventricular block occurred, and one case (1.5%) of postprocedural atrioventricular block occurred. In this case, intravenous dexamethasone injection for three days returned the sinus rhythm to normal. Aggravated mild to moderate tricuspid regurgitation was observed in 2 patients (3.8%) in the CT group during the 2-year follow-up period; aggravated tricuspid regurgitation was not observed in the WT group. During the 2-year follow-up period, there was no evidence of residual shunting in either group. CONCLUSION: Transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects with the WT is safe and effective in children.

Cryptosporidium suis Infection in Post-Weaned and Adult Pigs in Shaanxi Province, Northwestern China

Cryptosporidium spp., ubiquitous enteric parasitic protozoa of vertebrates, recently emerged as an important cause of economic loss and zoonosis. The present study aimed to determine the distribution and species of Cryptosporidium in post-weaned and adult pigs in Shaanxi province, northwestern China. A total of 1,337 fresh fecal samples of post-weaned and adult pigs were collected by sterile disposable gloves from 8 areas of Shaanxi province. The samples were examined by Sheather's sugar flotation technique and microscopy atx400 magnification for Cryptosporidium infection, and the species in positive samples was further identified by PCR amplification of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene. A total of 44 fecal samples were successfully amplified by the nested PCR of the partial SSU rRNA, with overall prevalence of 3.3%. The average prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in each pig farms ranged from 0 to 14.4%. Species identification by sequencing of SSU rRNA gene revealed that 42 (3.1%) samples were Cryptosporidium suis and 2 (0.15%) were Cryptosporidium scrofarum. C. suis had the highest prevalence (7.5%) in growers and the lowest in breeding pigs (0.97%). C. suis was the predominant species in pre-weaned and adult pigs, while C. scrofarum infected pigs older than 3 months only. A season-related difference of C. suis was observed in this study, with the highest prevalence in autumn (5.5%) and the lowest (1.7%) in winter. The present study provided basic information for control of Cryptosporidium infection in pigs and assessment of zoonotic transmission of pigs in Shaanxi province, China.

Cryptosporidium suis Infection in Post-Weaned and Adult Pigs in Shaanxi Province, Northwestern China

Cryptosporidium spp., ubiquitous enteric parasitic protozoa of vertebrates, recently emerged as an important cause of economic loss and zoonosis. The present study aimed to determine the distribution and species of Cryptosporidium in post-weaned and adult pigs in Shaanxi province, northwestern China. A total of 1,337 fresh fecal samples of post-weaned and adult pigs were collected by sterile disposable gloves from 8 areas of Shaanxi province. The samples were examined by Sheather's sugar flotation technique and microscopy atx400 magnification for Cryptosporidium infection, and the species in positive samples was further identified by PCR amplification of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene. A total of 44 fecal samples were successfully amplified by the nested PCR of the partial SSU rRNA, with overall prevalence of 3.3%. The average prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in each pig farms ranged from 0 to 14.4%. Species identification by sequencing of SSU rRNA gene revealed that 42 (3.1%) samples were Cryptosporidium suis and 2 (0.15%) were Cryptosporidium scrofarum. C. suis had the highest prevalence (7.5%) in growers and the lowest in breeding pigs (0.97%). C. suis was the predominant species in pre-weaned and adult pigs, while C. scrofarum infected pigs older than 3 months only. A season-related difference of C. suis was observed in this study, with the highest prevalence in autumn (5.5%) and the lowest (1.7%) in winter. The present study provided basic information for control of Cryptosporidium infection in pigs and assessment of zoonotic transmission of pigs in Shaanxi province, China.

Biological motion perception in patients with Parkinson's disease / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore the biological motion perception in Parkinson's disease (PD).Methods 45 individuals with idiopathic PD were compared with 45 matched healthy controls (HCs) using a duration discrimination task.Results The point of subjective equality(PSE) was negative value (-0.27±0.17) for health controls (HCs),and there was significant difference compared with PSE =0 by one sample t test (t=10.96,P＜ 0.01).Compared with HCs,the PSE for PD patients (-0.14±0.30) significantly decreased (t=2.63,P=0.01).When further dividing PD into early stages (stage 1-2) and late stages (stage 3-4),significant difference was found between late-stage PD patients(0.02±0.39)and HCs (t=4.07,P=0.008),but not between early-stage PD patients (-0.24±0.14) and HCs (t=0.84,P=0.405).Conclusion There is biological motion perception disorder in PD patients and it is related to the severity of PD.

Tumstatin transfected into human glioma cell line U251 represses tumor growth by inhibiting angiogenesis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Angiogenesis is a prerequisite for tumor growth and plays an important role in rapidly growing tumors, such as malignant gliomas. A variety of factors controlling the angiogenic balance have been described, and among these, the endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis, tumstatin, has drawn considerable attention. The current study investigated whether expression of tumstatin by glioma cells could alter this balance and prevent tumor formation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We engineered stable transfectants from human glioma cell line U251 to constitutively secrete a human tumstatin protein with c-myc and polyhistidine tags. Production and secretion of the tumstatin-c-myc-His fusion protein by tumstatin-transfected cells were confirmed by Western blotting analysis. In the present study, we identify the anti-angiogenic capacity of tumstatin using several in vitro and in vivo assays. Student's t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test were used to determine the statistical significance in this study.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The tumstatin transfectants and control transfectants (stably transfected with a control plasmid) had similar in vitro growth rates compared to their parental cell lines. However, the conditioned medium from the tumstatin transfected tumor cells significantly inhibits proliferation and causes apoptosis of endothelial cells. It also inhibits tube formation of endothelial cells on Matrigel. Examination of armpit tumors arising from cells overexpressing tumstatin repress the growth of tumor, accompanying the decreased density of CD31 positive vessels in tumors ((5.62 ± 1.32)/HP), compared to the control-transfectants group ((23.84 + 1.71)/HP) and wild type U251 glioma cells group ((29.33 + 4.45)/HP).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Anti-angiogenic gene therapy using human tumstatin gene may be an effective strategy for the treatment of glioma.</p>

Activation of mTOR in maldeveloped balloon cells and dysmorphic neurons of type II focal cortical dysplasia / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate whether mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase was abnormally activated in maldeveloped balloon cells and dysmorphic neurons of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) with refractory epilepsy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 12 archival cases of FCD typeIIwith medically intractable epilepsy treated between 2008 and 2010 were retrieved. Perilesional brain tissue was used as control specimens (n = 8). The expression of phosphorylated p-AKT (Ser473), p-mTOR (Ser2448) and p-P70S6K (Thr389) was investigated by imunocytochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of p-AKT (Ser473), p-mTOR (Ser2448) and p-P70S6K (Thr389) was found in meldeveloped balloon cells and dysmorphic neurons of FCD. A weak stain in a small amount of pyramid neurons was also found in the control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Abnormal activation of mTOR in maldeveloped balloon cells and dysmorphic neurons of FCD may be a key molecular mechanism underlying the histological changes and repeated seizures.</p>

B7-H4 expression is elevated in human U251 glioma stem-like cells and is inducible in monocytes cultured with U251 stem-like cell conditioned medium / 癌症

Previous studies indicated that B7-H4, the youngest B7 family, negatively regulates T cell-mediated immunity and is significantly overexpressed in many human tumors. Tumor stem cells are purported to play a role in tumor renewal and resistance to radiation and chemotherapy. However, the link between B7-H4 and tumor stem cells is unclear. In this study, we investigated B7-H4 expression in the medium of human glioma U251 cell cultures. Immunofluorescence results showed that U251 cells cultured in serum-free medium (supplemented with 2% B27, 20 ng/mL epidermal growth factor, 20 ng/mL basic fibroblast growth factor) maintained stem-like cell characteristics, including expression of stem cell marker CD133 and the neural progenitor cell markers nestin and SOX2. In contrast, U251 cells cultured in serum-containing medium highly expressed differentiation marker glial fibrillary acidic protein. Flow cytometry analysis showed serum-free medium-cultured U251 cells expressed higher intracellular B7-H4 than serum-containing medium-cultured U251 cells (24%-35% vs. 8%-11%, P < 0.001). Immunofluorescence in purified monocytes from normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells revealed moderate expression of B7-H4 after stimulation with conditioned medium from U251 cells cultured in serum-containing medium. Moreover, conditioned medium from U251 stem-like cells had a significant stimulation effect on B7-H4 expression compared with serum-containing conditioned medium (P < 0.01). Negative costimulatory molecule B7-H4 was preferentially expressed in U251 stem-like cells, and conditioned medium from these cells more effectively induced monocytes to express B7-H4 than conditioned medium from U251 cells cultured in the presence of serum. Our results show that U251 stem-like cells may play a more crucial role in tumor immunoloregulation with high expression of B7-H4.

Molecular properties of grass carp reovirus in southern China and establishment of a duplex PCR detection method / 病毒学报

A strain of grass carp reovirus was isolated from sick grass carp with symptoms of haemorrhage in Guangdong province in 2009. The strain was tentatively named as GCRV-GD108 because it was isolated from grass carp and possessed 11 segments of dsRNA. Complete genome sequence analysis showed that significant differences existed between GCRV-GD108 and GCRV, as well as other known species of aquareovirus. In this study, molecular characteristics of diseased grass carp collected from different farms in Guangdong, Fujian and Hunan provinces were assayed. Based on the sequences of the 11 segments of GCRV-GD108, PCR primers corresponding to each of the segments were designed and synthesized. Total RNA of the diseased fish was extracted and used as templates of RT-PCR reaction. Specific amplification bands were obtained from all of the samples whereas no band was produced from GCRV standard strain. While using the primers specific to GCRV produced specific band in GCRV standard strain rather than in these collected samples. Sequencing of the amplification products showed that these samples displayed high similarities with each other (95.2%-99.4%), and they also shared high sequence similarities with that of GCRV-GD108 (95.0%-99.8%), suggesting that these samples shared similar molecular characteristics with those of GCRV-GD108, and were quite different from GCRV as well as the known species of genus aquareovirus. The results indicated that there are different molecular types of reovirus existed in the pond-cultured grass carp in China, and GCRV-GD108 is a representative strain in southern China, therefore great attention should be paid in order to control the disease efficiently, especially in vaccine preparation. Two pairs of primers were chosen to establish a duplex PCR assay method by combining each pair of the primers specific to GCRV-GD108 with the GCRV primer pair respectively. The duplex PCR assay method will enable the identification of GCRV-GD108 or GCRV by only a single PCR reaction.

Role of level VI lymph nodes metastasis in cervical metastasis of patients with papillary thyroid cancer / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the features of level VI lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and the distribution of metastatic lymph nodes in the neck levels, and to provide evidences for the treatments of cervical metastasis in patients with PTC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety-seven PTC cases were reviewed retrospectively. The tumors in all cases were limited to one side lobe. Of them, 72 patients were cN0 and 25 patients were cN+; 32 patients with tumors ≤ 1 cm and 65 patients with tumors > 1 cm. Pathological examinations of frozen biopsies of level III and IV lymph nodes were taken in the operation. The extent of lymph node dissection depending on pathological examination results of level III and IV lymph nodes and the size and location of the tumor. For the patients with metastatic lymph nodes in level III and IV, the modified neck dissection including level VI was performed. Ipsilateral VI lymph node dissection was performed for the patients with tumors ≤ 1 cm and bilateral VI lymph node dissection for the patients with tumors > 1 cm or with extra-thyroidal invasion.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In 97 patients, 122 sides of VI lymph node dissection were performed. Positive nodes in level VI were found in 45.1% (55/122) patients. The positive rates of nodes metastases in level VI were 45.8% (33/72) for 72 patients with cN0 and 76.0% (19/25) for 25 patients with cN+ respectively, with a significant difference statistically (χ(2) = 6.790, P = 0.009). Positive rates of node metastases in level VI were 65.0% (13/20) in 10 patients with extra-thyroidal invasion and 41.2% (42/102) in 77 patients without extra-thyroidal invasion respectively, with a significant difference statistically (χ(2) = 3.833, P = 0.047). Positive rate of node metastasis in level VI was 43.8% (14/32) in 32 patients with tumors ≤ 1cm. Of 65 patients with tumors > 1cm, ipsilateral and bilateral node metastasis rates were 69.2% (45/65) and 23.1% (15/65) respectively, with a significant difference statistically (χ(2) = 5.843, P = 0.016).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Cervical lymph node metastasis in level VI can occur at early stage of PTC. The patients with extra-thyroidal invasion were prone to have lymph node metastasis in level VI. Ipsilateral positive nodes in level VI can exist in the patients with tumors ≤ 1 cm, while bilateral positive nodes in level VI can occur in the patients with tumors > 1 cm. The cervical lymph node metastasis of PTC may take place in level VI alone or in level VI and in lateral neck levels simultaneously. Pathological examinations of frozen biopsies of level III and IV lymph nodes should be taken for PTC patients, when the presence of positive lymph node, the modified neck dissection including level VI should be performed.</p>