POSTN promotes nucleus pulposus cell senescence and extracellular matrix metabolism via activing Wnt/ß-catenin and NF-κB signal pathway in intervertebral disc degeneration.

BACKGROUND: Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IVDD) is a prevalent condition contributing to back pain and disability. Periostin (POSTN) has emerged as a potential molecular marker and therapeutic target in IVDD, prompting further investigation into its role and mechanisms. METHODS: This study employs bioinformatics analysis combined with experimental validation to explore the role of POSTN in IVDD. Gene expression datasets from the GEO database were analyzed to identify genes associated with IVDD, and the effects of POSTN on rat nucleus pulposus (NP) cells senescence and extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism were assessed both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Elevated POSTN expression was observed in degenerated discs from IVDD patients, correlating with disease severity. In vitro experiments demonstrated that POSTN promotes NP cells senescence and ECM metabolism in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In vivo studies confirmed that POSTN inhibition can ameliorate the progression of IVDD. Further mechanistic insights revealed that POSTN may exert its effects by activating the NF-κB and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: POSTN plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of IVDD, with its upregulated expression closely linked to NP cells senescence and ECM metabolism. Targeting POSTN could offer a novel therapeutic strategy for IVDD. Additionally, the study predicts small molecules that may inhibit POSTN expression, providing potential candidates for the development of new drug treatments.

Fabrication of ß-Ga2O3 Nanotubes via Sacrificial GaSb-Nanowire Templates.

ß-Ga2O3 nanostructures are attractive wide-band-gap semiconductor materials as they exhibit promising photoelectric properties and potential applications. Despite the extensive efforts on ß-Ga2O3 nanowires, investigations into ß-Ga2O3 nanotubes are rare since the tubular structures are hard to synthesize. In this paper, we report a facile method for fabricating ß-Ga2O3 nanotubes using pre-synthesized GaSb nanowires as sacrificial templates. Through a two-step heating-treatment strategy, the GaSb nanowires are partially oxidized to form ß-Ga2O3 shells, and then, the residual inner parts are removed subsequently in vacuum conditions, yielding delicate hollow ß-Ga2O3 nanotubes. The length, diameter, and thickness of the nanotubes can be customized by using different GaSb nanowires and heating parameters. In situ transmission electron microscopic heating experiments are performed to reveal the transformation dynamics of the ß-Ga2O3 nanotubes, while the Kirkendall effect and the sublimation process are found to be critical. Moreover, photoelectric tests are carried out on the obtained ß-Ga2O3 nanotubes. A photoresponsivity of ~25.9 A/W and a detectivity of ~5.6 × 1011 Jones have been achieved with a single-ß-Ga2O3-nanotube device under an excitation wavelength of 254 nm.

Formation of a N/O/F-Rich and Rooflike Cluster-Based Highly Stable Cu(I/II)-MOF for Promising Pipeline Natural Gas Upgrading by the Recovery of Individual C3H8 and C2H6 Gases.

Due to the ultralow amounts of C3H8 and C2H6 gases, to design and synthesize water-stable MOFs that are promising for real-world efficient pipeline natural gas (NG) upgrading by the recovery of individual C3H8 and C2H6 gases is still a great challenge. Here, a N/O/F heteroatom-rich and rooflike [Cu(II)4Cu(I)2(COO)4(tetrazolyl)6] cluster-based ultra-microporous tsi-MOF (SNNU-Bai68) was afforded as a multiple heteroatom-rich and curved-surface-shaped cluster-based ultra-microporous MOF and the first porous MOF based upon such rooflike [Cu(II)xCu(I)y(tetrazolyl)z](2x+y-z)+ cluster. In SNNU-Bai68, the rooflike cluster was further assembled into a 1D chain secondary building block (SBB), which led to a high density of accessible potential adsorptive sites. Very interestingly, it exhibited the most promising balance of high gas adsorption uptakes at 0.01, 0.03, and 0.05 bar, high C3H8/CH4, C3H8/C2H6, and C2H6/CH4 adsorption selectivities, moderate adsorption enthalpies, and high water and chemical stability for pipeline natural gas upgrading by the recovery of individual C3H8 and C2H6 gases, which was further confirmed by the breakthrough experiments of the gas mixtures with/without 74% RH. Furthermore, the SC-XRD and GCMC studies revealed that the successful separation of C3H8, C2H6, and CH4 gases in SNNU-Bai68 is due to different synergistic effects of H-bonds between the frameworks at three adsorptive sites around each rooflike cluster and those different gas molecules, which were initially described systematically by the number of H atoms from the gas molecules, the total number of H-bonds within the synergistic H-bonds, and the binding energy of the framework at an adsorption site toward the gas molecules. In addition, this work may provide a method for the construction of a multiple heteroatom-rich and curved-surface-shaped cluster-based ultra-microporous MOF as a novel approach to build MOFs with polar pore surfaces, suitable pore sizes, and unique pore shapes to maximize the synergistic H-bonds between the framework and guests.

Clinical analysis of 554 patients with colorectal diverticulosis / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: Most patients with asymptomatic colorectal diverticulosis are easily overlooked. However, some of diverticulosis become diverticulitis, bleeding and even perforation, which cause extensive harm to patients. The purpose of this study is to analyze the incidence, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of colorectal diverticulosis in order to improve the clinical understanding of diverticulosis and its related complications. Methods: A descriptive cohort study was carried out. Clinical data of 554 patients with colorectal diverticulosis confirmed by CT, colonoscopy, digestive tract radiography or operation in Peking University First Hospital from January 2009 to June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with malignant tumors, autoimmune diseases, long term use of immunosuppressive drugs, chronic liver diseases and renal diseases, and mental disorders were excluded. The analysis parameters included gender, onset age, clinical symptoms, location of diverticulitis, treatment and prognosis. According to the criteria established by the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES), acute diverticulitis was divided into 5 stages based on the extension of the infectious process. Stage 0 was simple diverticulitis and stage 1-4 was complicated diverticulitis. Results: Among the 554 patients with colorectal diverticulosis, 358 (64.6%) were males, the median onset age was 63 years; 191 patients (34.5%) had various digestive symptoms, of whom 113 (20.4%) had chronic constipation and abdominal distension, 78 (14.1%) had chronic diarrhea and abdominal pain; the other 363 patients had no obvious abdominal symptoms. Four hundred and six patients were found by colonoscopy and 465 patients were found by CT. Twenty-five patients were diagnosed by lower gastrointestinal tract radiography and 3 were confirmed during operation. There were 339 patients with multiple diverticula (61.2%) and 215 patients with single diverticulum (38.8%). 76.5% (424/554) of diverticula were located in colon, 37.0% (205/554) in ascending colon, 21.3% (118/554) in multiple sites, and 2.2% (12/554) in rectum. The median diameter of diverticulum was 7 mm, and 78 cases (14.1%) was ≥30 mm. Forty-nine patients (8.8%) developed acute diverticulitis, including 13 patients with simple diverticulitis and 36 patients with complicated diverticulitis. Among 36 patients with complicated diverticulitis, 29 (80.6%) were males, 27 (75.0%) had recurrent abdominal pain and fever before onset; diverticula of 25 cases were located in sigmoid colon; 11 cases in ascending colon. Nine cases developed sigmoid colon perforation and 8 cases developed vesicocolonic fistula, and these 17 patients underwent surgical treatment. The other 19 cases with complicated diverticulitis developed gastrointestinal bleeding, of whom 18 cases were male, 11 cases were located in ascending colon; 13 cases were healed after conservative treatment, 4 cases received endoscopic hemostatic intervention, and 2 cases underwent surgery. Conclusions: Colorectal diverticulosis is more common in male patients, and CT and colonoscopy are main diagnostic methods. The symptoms of complicated colonic diverticulitis are related to the location of diverticulum. In addition to symptomatic treatment, surgical procedures are the most important treatments.

An Antioxidant Enzyme Therapeutic for COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on people worldwide, and there are currently no specific antivirus drugs or vaccines. We report herein a therapeutic based on catalase, an antioxidant enzyme that can effectively breakdown hydrogen peroxide and minimize the downstream reactive oxygen species, which are excessively produced resulting from the infection and inflammatory process. Catalase assists to regulate production of cytokines, protect oxidative injury, and repress replication of SARS-CoV-2, as demonstrated in human leukocytes and alveolar epithelial cells, and rhesus macaques, without noticeable toxicity. Such a therapeutic can be readily manufactured at low cost as a potential treatment for COVID-19.

The respiratory sound features of COVID-19 patients fill gaps between clinical data and screening methods

BackgroundThe 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has continuous outbreaks around the world. Lung is the main organ that be involved. There is a lack of clinical data on the respiratory sounds of COVID-19 infected pneumonia, which includes invaluable information concerning physiology and pathology. The medical resources are insufficient, which are now mainly supplied for the severe patients. The development of a convenient and effective screening method for mild or asymptomatic suspicious patients is highly demanded. MethodsThis is a retrospective case series study. 10 patients with positive results of nucleic acid were enrolled in this study. Lung auscultation was performed by the same physician on admission using a hand-held portable electronic stethoscope delivered in real time via Bluetooth. The recorded audio was exported, and was analyzed by six physicians. Each physician individually described the abnormal breathing sounds that he heard. The results were analyzed in combination with clinical data. Signal analysis was used to quantitatively describe the most common abnormal respiratory sounds. ResultsAll patients were found abnormal breath sounds at least by 3 physicians, and one patient by all physicians. Cackles, asymmetrical vocal resonance and indistinguishable murmurs are the most common abnormal breath sounds. One asymptomatic patient was found vocal resonance, and the result was correspondence with radiographic computed tomography. Signal analysis verified the credibility of the above abnormal breath sounds. ConclusionsThis study describes respiratory sounds of patients with COVID-19, which fills up for the lack of clinical data and provides a simple screening method for suspected patients.

Rational Construction of Porous Metal-Organic Frameworks for Uranium(VI) Extraction: The Strong Periodic Tendency with a Metal Node.

Although metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been reported as important porous materials for the potential utility in metal ion separation, coordinating the functionality, structure, and component of MOFs remains a great challenge. Herein, a series of anionic rare earth MOFs (RE-MOFs) were synthesized via a solvothermal template reaction and for the first time explored for uranium(VI) capture from an acidic medium. The unusually high extraction capacity of UO22+ (e.g., 538 mg U per g of Y-MOF) was achieved through ion-exchange with the concomitant release of Me2NH2+, during which the uranium(VI) extraction in the series of isostructural RE-MOFs was found to be highly sensitive to the ionic radii of the metal nodes. That is, the uranium(VI) adsorption capacities continuously increased as the ionic radii decreased. In-depth mechanism insight was obtained from molecular dynamics simulations, suggesting that both the accessible pore volume of the MOFs and hydrogen-bonding interactions contribute to the strong periodic tendency of uranium(VI) extraction.

Ezetimibe Attenuates Oxidative Stress and Neuroinflammation via the AMPK/Nrf2/TXNIP Pathway after MCAO in Rats.

Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation play essential roles in ischemic stroke-induced brain injury. Previous studies have reported that Ezetimibe (Eze) exerts antioxidative stress and anti-inflammatory properties in hepatocytes. In the present study, we investigated the effects of Eze on oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. One hundred and ninety-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Animals assigned to MCAO were given either Eze or its control. To explore the downstream signaling of Eze, the following interventions were given: AMPK inhibitor dorsomorphin and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) siRNA. Intranasal administration of Eze, 1 h post-MCAO, further increased the endogenous p-AMPK expression, reducing brain infarction, neurologic deficits, neutrophil infiltration, microglia/macrophage activation, number of dihydroethidium- (DHE-) positive cells, and malonaldehyde (MDA) levels. Specifically, treatment with Eze increased the expression of p-AMPK, Nrf2, and HO-1; Romo-1, thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), Cleaved Caspase-1, and IL-1ß were reduced. Dorsomorphin and Nrf2 siRNA reversed the protective effects of Eze. In summary, Eze decreases oxidative stress and subsequent neuroinflammation via activation of the AMPK/Nrf2/TXNIP pathway after MCAO in rats. Therefore, Eze may be a potential therapeutic approach for ischemic stroke patients.

Research Advances on Non-Clinical Evaluation in Vitro of Drug-Induced Arrhythmias / 中国药学杂志

Drug-induced arrhythmia is one of the main causes of failure in drug development, and it is also a major cause of drug withdrawal, therefore, accurate prediction of drug-induced arrhythmia in the non-clinical research stage is the best way to reduce cost. Literature was retrieved by formally searching PubMed, Metstr, CNKI and Baidu Scholar, 1 479 published articles were found through search method, 63 full-text articles were included. After reviewed the relevant literatures, the advantages and disadvantages of the different experimental cells and the related evaluation methods are assessed, in order to provide reference for toxicity evaluation.

Genome-Wide Identification of a Novel Autophagy-Related Signature for Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Plenty of evidence has suggested that autophagy plays a crucial role in the biological processes of cancers. This study aimed to screen autophagy-related genes (ARGs) and establish a novel a scoring system for colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: Autophagy-related genes sequencing data and the corresponding clinical data of CRC in The Cancer Genome Atlas were used as training data set. The GSE39582 data set from the Gene Expression Omnibus was used as validation set. An autophagy-related signature was developed in training set using univariate Cox analysis followed by stepwise multivariate Cox analysis and assessed in the validation set. Then we analyzed the function and pathways of ARGs using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Finally, a prognostic nomogram combining the autophagy-related risk score and clinicopathological characteristics was developed according to multivariate Cox analysis. RESULTS: After univariate and multivariate analysis, 3 ARGs were used to construct autophagy-related signature. The KEGG pathway analyses showed several significantly enriched oncological signatures, such as p53 signaling pathway, apoptosis, human cytomegalovirus infection, platinum drug resistance, necroptosis, and ErbB signaling pathway. Patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups, and patients with high risk had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) than low-risk patients in both training set and validation set. Furthermore, the nomogram for predicting 3- and 5-year OS was established based on autophagy-based risk score and clinicopathologic factors. The area under the curve and calibration curves indicated that the nomogram showed well accuracy of prediction. CONCLUSIONS: Our proposed autophagy-based signature has important prognostic value and may provide a promising tool for the development of personalized therapy.

Improving rational use of antimicrobial agents by infection prevention and control / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of infection prevention and control measures on the management of rational use of antimicrobial agents.Methods Patients who were admitted in a hospital from 2011 to 2015 were as the research object,a series of infection prevention and control intervention measure were taken,efficacy of intervention measures were evaluated.Results After the implementation of comprehensive intervention measures,compliance rate of hand hygiene increased year by year,from 38.17 ％ in 2011 to 87.16 ％ in 2015,difference was statistically significant (x2 =48.50,P＜0.05).Incidence of healthcare-associated infection dropped from 1.45％ to 1.06％,difference was statistically significant (x2 =42.50,P＜0.05);antimicrobial use density in 2011-2015 were 63.1,44.4,40.0,40.8,and 40.5 respectively,which showed a decreasing tendency.Conclusion Effective infection prevention and control measures have obvious effect on promoting management of rational use of antimicrobial agents,it is helpful for reducing the clinical use density of antimicrobial agents.

Analysis of Clinical Characteristics for Primary Adrenal Lymphoma / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore clinical characteristics of the Primary Adrenal Lymphoma(PAL), so as to enhance the understanding of diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of PAL.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 2 patients with PAL retrospectively analyzed and the clinical characteristics were explored in combination with releted literalures.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Adrenal gland neoplasm was found in 2 patients by imaging examination. The pathological type of one case was diffuse large B cell lymphoma, the other one was extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma. The former refused to hosipitali3t and the other received to be admited in hospital after the definite diagnosis. She died at the 32th day after diagnosis, due to the complication with acute pancreatitis before chemotherapy. The latter accepted the scheme of"Gemox"combining with the scheme"VP-16+DXM"to control hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. The patient's condition deteriorated rapidly after a short period of improvement, then died at the 40th day after chemotherapy because of multiple organ failure.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PAL is a rare extra-nodal lymphoma with higher malignancy, the combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy results in the best outcome among all the treatments. The prognosis of patients with different pathological types was diverse, thus it is very important to choose the appropriate treatment according to different pathological types.</p>

Midterm clinical outcomes and radiological results of surgical treatment for Hirayama disease / 北京大学学报(医学版)

Objective:To assess the midterm clinical and radiological outcomes of internal fixation and fusion for the treatment of Hirayama disease and to evaluate the clinical significance and value of this procedure.Methods:In the study,36 patients were treated with anterior cervical internal fixation and fusion.The clinical outcomes including muscle strength and atrophy were recorded.The radiological outcomes including range of motion of cervical spine and the cross-sectional area of spinal cord at each level on MRI scan were measured before and at 3 month,1 year and 2 years follow-up time points after surgery.Results:(1) Clinical outcomes:all the patients showed no further progression of symptoms except one patient with mild progression of muscular weakness and atrophy.As the time passed by,the ratio of the patients with muscle strength and atrophy improvement increased.There were 26.5 ％ of patients in 3 months,36.0％ in 1 year and 85.7％ in 2 years who experienced muscle strength improvement.8.8％ of patients in 3 months,24.0％ in 1 year and 35.8％ in 2 years felt muscle atrophy improvement.And 12 of the 14 patients showed improved muscle strength and atrophy at the end of 2 years period follow-up.(2) Radiological outcomes:the range of motion (ROM) of C2-C7 was significantly decreased after the operation.The ROM of preoperation was 62.25° ±2.10° and that of 2 years postoperation was 13.67° ± 7.51°(P ＜ 0.01).The spinal cord was of no compression on flexion MRI.The cross-section area of spinal cord on MRI was significantly increased only at C6 level (P ＜0.05) at the end of three months follow-up.The level of increased cross-section area rose to C4-C5-C6 levels (P ＜0.01) in 1 year and to C4-C5-C6-C7 levels at the end of 2 years follow-up P ＜ 0.05).The cross-section area increased 15.60％ at C4,19.08％ at C5,21.60％ at C6 and 23.91％ at C7 with significant difference (P ＜0.05) 2 years after the operation.Conclusion:Anterior cervical internal fixation and fusion is an effective surgical treatment for Hirayama disease and may provide preferable midterm clinical and radiological outcomes.This procedure has clinical significance and value in terms of control of the progression and outcome of this disease.

Anti-tumor effects and mechanisms of the fully human anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody (Ranti-HER) / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To observe the in vivo activity of Ranti-HER, a fully human monoclonal antibody, and combined with the doxorubicin or CPT-11 in established human tumor xenografts in nude mice, and to investigate whether EGFR expression is correlated with this activity. METHODS: The overall receptor of EGF was quantified by flow cytometry. The anti-tumor effects of Ranti-HER were evaluated using established, s /c human carcinoma xenografts in nude mice, and the relative growth rate of tumor was used to assess the anti-tumor activity. RESULTS: A431 cells showed highly expression of EGFR by flow cytometry, SW620 showed negative expression, and EGFR were expressed positively in HT29 and SW948 cells, but both of them were showed low expression. Ranti-HER(0.25-1.0 mg) could inhibit the tumor growth in human A431 epidermoid carcinoma xenografts and dose-effect relationship was observed; Ranti-HER(1.0 mg) could also inhibit the tumor growth in human SW948 colon carcinoma xenografts, but no anti-tumor effects of Ranti-HER 1.0 mg were observed in human HT29 and SW620 colon carcinoma xenografts. Therapeutic enhancement was observed in the A431 xenografts after treatment with Ranti-HER combined with doxorubicin. For another combination regimens, Ranti-HER and CPT-11 proved to be significantly more efficacious than Ranti-HER monotherpy in SW948 xenografts. CONCLUSION: Antitumor activity of Ranti-HER are observed in xenografts in athymic nude mice, and the activity of Ranti-HER is correlated with the EGFR expression; synergistic effects are observed when Ranti-HER is combined with chemicals compared to Ranti-HER monotherapy.

Resveratrol analogue 3,4,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene induces apoptosis and autophagy in human non-small-cell lung cancer cells in vitro.

AIM: To investigate the effects of 3,4,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene (3,4,4'-THS), an analogue of resveratrol, on human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells in vitro. METHODS: Cell viability of NSCLC A549 cells was determined by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was evaluated using flow cytometry and TUNEL assay. Cell necrosis was evaluated with LDH assay. The expression of apoptosis- or autophagy-associated proteins was measured using Western blotting. The formation of acidic compartments was detected using AO staining, neutral red staining and Lysotracker-Red staining. LC3 punctae were analyzed with fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS: Treatment with 3,4,4'-THS (10-80 µmol/L) concentration-dependently inhibited the cell viability. It did not cause cell necrosis, but induced apoptosis accompanied by up-regulation of cleavaged PARP, caspase3/9 and Bax, and by down-regulation of Bcl-2 and surviving. It also increased the formation of acidic compartments, LC3-II accumulation and GFP-LC3 labeled autophagosomes in the cells. It inhibited the mTOR-dependent pathway, but did not impair autophagic flux. 3,4,4'-THS-induced cell death was enhanced by the autophagy inhibitors 3-MA (5 mmol/L) or Wortmannin (2 µmol/L). Moreover, 3,4,4'-THS treatment elevated the ROS levels in the cells, and co-treatment with 3-MA further elevated the ROS levels. 3,4,4'-THS-induced apoptosis and autophagy in the cells was attenuated by NAC (10 mmol/L)Conclusion:3,4,4'-THS induces both apoptosis and autophagy in NSCLC A549 cells in vitro. Autophagy inhibitors promote 3,4,4'-THS-induced apoptosis of A549 cells, thus combination of 3,4,4'-THS and autophagy inhibitor provides a promising strategy for NSCLC treatment.

Simultaneous determination of andrographolide, dehydroandrographolide and neoandrographolide in dog plasma by LC-MS/MS and its application to a dog pharmacokinetic study of Andrographis paniculata tablet.

In this study, a sensitive and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated to simultaneously determinate andrographolide (AP), dehydroandrographolide (DP), and neoandrographolide (NP) in plasma of beagle dogs after oral administration of Andrographis paniculata tablet (A. paniculata). The analytes and bilobalide (internal standard) were separated on an Agilent ZORBAX XDB-C18 column (50mm×2.1mm, 3.5µm) by using gradient elution consisting of methanol and water at a flow rate of 0.50mL/min in 7min. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was performed to quantify data under monitoring precursor-product ion transitions of m/z 348.8→286.9, 330.9→107.9, 479.1→160.8 and 325.0→163.0 for AP, DP, NP and internal standard (IS) at negative ion mode, respectively. This method was developed at linearity ranging from 0.50 to 250ng/mL for AP, 1.00 to 500ng/mL for DP and 0.20 to 100ng/mL for NP. The accuracy of each analyte ranged between 94.8% and 107.1% and the precision was within 14.6%. No significant matrix effect was observed. AP, DP and NP were stable during sample storage, preparation and analytic procedures. Furthermore, this method was successfully applied in the investigation of the pharmacokinetic profile of AP, DP and NP in beagle dogs after oral administration of A. paniculata tablet (49.5mg for AP, 7.0mg for DP, 22.0mg for NP). Biological half-life (t1/2) was 2.08±0.99, 3.13±1.19 and 1.07±0.38h for AP, DP and NP, respectively. The areas under curves (AUC0-t) of AP, DP and NP was 494.50±150.64, 26.01±8.72 and 78.78±18.29ngh/mL, respectively.

Effect of HSP70 on apoptotic of cartilage cells in knee osteoarthritis / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression and relationship between HSP70 and caspase-3 in knee osteoarthritis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty adult SD rats were divided into experimental group and control group. Thirty rats in experimental group, anterior cruciate ligament transaction (ACLT) was cut off and partial meniscectomy of 1/3 inside incision were performed to reproduce knee osteoarthritis (KOA) model according to Hulth methos, and the other 10 rats was treated with nothing as control group. The rats were sent to the cage and free to move. At 1, 2 and 4 weeks later, the arthritis cartilage of femoral and tibial end were observed through immunohistochemistry staining and light microscope. Meanwhile, Mankin scale system was adopted for histomorphology evaluation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Changes of KOA such as hyperplastic synovium,erosion on the surface of cartilage and so on were found in experiment group, the expression of HSP70 was augmentation all the time, but the expression of caspase-3 was reduction 1 week later; no similar changes were found in control group. Mankin scale system showed that there were significant differences in the first week as compared with the second week and 4th week (both P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Heat shock protein inhibit the apoptosis of cartilage cells and protect the cartilage cells in knee osteoarthritis, the conservative treatment for clinical provide objective scientific basis.</p>

Experimental study of the effect of adipose stromal vascular fraction cells with VEGF on the neovascularization of free fat transplantation / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of adipose stromal vascular fraction cells (SVFs) with VEGF on the neovascularization of free fat transplantation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>SVFs were obtained from subcutaneous fat and labelled with DiI. 0.3 ml autologous fat tissue was mixed with 0.2 ml cells: 1) autologous SVFs with VEGF (Group A); 2) autologous SVFs (Group B); 3) complete DMEM (Group C) And then the mixture was injected randomly under the back skin of 12 nude mice. The transplanted fat tissue in three groups was harvested at 2 months after implantation. Wet weight and diameter of fat grafts was measured. After HE and CD31 staining,blood vessel density, viable adipocytes and fibrous proliferation were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Trace of SVFs labeled by DiI in vivo could be detected by fluorescent microscope. The wet weight of fat grafts was (191.90 +/- 9.81) mg in group A, (177.01 +/- 10.50) mg in group B, and (92.05 +/- 8.30) mg in group C (P<0.01). The diameter of fat grafts was (0.49 +/- 0.24) cm in group A, (0.40 +/- 0.26) cm in group B, and (0.32 +/- 0.28) cm in group C (P<0.01). Histological analysis showed the blood vessel density was (14.58 +/- 2.06)/HPL in group A, (11.55 +/- 2.18)/HPL in group B, (7.87 +/- 1.55)/HPL in group C. Compared with group B and group C, group A had more adipose tissue with less fat necrosis and fibrosis and had significantly higher capillary density.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The autologous adipose stromal vascular fraction cells with VEGF could improve the neovascularization of free fat significantly. It indicates a wide clinical application in the future.</p>

Sphingomonas rubra sp. nov., isolated from bioreactor wastewater.

A Gram-reaction-negative, rod-shaped, motile, neutrophilic bacterium, designated strain BH3(T), was isolated from wastewater of a sequential batch reactor treating wastewater taken from a leather plant. The isolate grew in 0-8 % (w/v) NaCl, at pH 6-9 and at 4-45 °C. Chemotaxonomic analysis showed that strain BH3(T) had characteristics typical of members of the genus Sphingomonas, such as the presence of sphingolipids, Q-10 and 2-hydroxymyristic acid and the absence of 3-hydroxy fatty acids. The presence of C(18 : 1)ω7c (39.2 %) and C(16 : 0) (11.2 %) as major fatty acids, C(14 : 0) 2-OH (20.6 %) as the major 2-hydroxy fatty acid and homospermidine as the major polyamine indicated that strain BH3(T) belonged to the genus Sphingomonas sensu stricto. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain BH3(T) was 65.6 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities between the isolate and closely related members of the genus Sphingomonas sensu stricto ranged from 92.6 to 97.3 %, the highest sequence similarities being to Sphingomonas melonis DSM 14444(T) (97.3 %) and Sphingomonas aquatilis DSM 15581(T) (97.3 %). Based on its phenotypic characteristics and the results of DNA-DNA hybridization studies and 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons, strain BH3(T) represents a novel species of the genus Sphingomonas sensu stricto, for which the name Sphingomonas rubra sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BH3(T) ( = CGMCC 1.9113(T)  = JCM 16230(T)).

Surgical outcomes for 187 patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer and analysis of prognostic factors / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the surgical outcomes for patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) and to analyze the prognostic factors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 187 patients with LRRC undergoing surgery at the First Hospital of peking University from January 1985 to December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Procedures performed included local resection(n=34), abdominoperineal resection (n=35), posterior pelvic exenteration (n=17), total pelvic exenteration(TPE, n=98), TPE with sacrectomy (n=2), and TPE with internal hemipelvectomy (n=1). The operation was R0 in 87 patients, R1 in 60, and R2 in 40. The degree of radical resection was associated with the initial surgery and the degree of pelvic fixation (P<0.05). The pelvic recurrence rate was 44.4%(64/144). The operative morbidity and mortality were 47.5%(89/187) and 2.7%(5/187), respectively. The overall 3- and 5-year survival rates were 42.2% and 30.7%, respectively. The degree of radical resection and lymph node metastasis were independent risk factors associated with prognosis. The 5-year survival rates of R0, R1 and R2 were 42.6%, 17.2% and 0, respectively(P<0.01). The 5-year survival rates of patients with and without lymph node metastasis were 5.6% and 40.5%(P<0.01) respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Accurate evaluation of extent of pelvic fixation and achievement of R0 resection are critical to improve the surgical outcomes for LRRC.</p>