[Summary of the 15th Syposium on Chinese Burn Medicine and the 2nd Congress of Burn Medicine Branch of China International Exchange and Promotion Association for Medical and Healthcare].

The 15th Syposium on Chinese Burn Medicine and the 2nd Congress of Burn Medicine Branch of China International Exchange and Promotion Association for Medical and Healthcare (CPAM) was successfully held in Suzhou, from June 20th to 22th in 2019. A total of 400 specialists and scholars across the country attended the meeting. Focusing on the theme of " Guide and consensus: exploration and consideration " , with form of one main meeting place and two branch meeting places, the related hot and difficult problems were discussed warmly. During the conference, Working Conference of Editorial Committee of Chinese Journal of Burns, Standing Committee of the Chinese Burn Association, and the Congress of Burn Medicine Branch of CPAM were held.

Medical costs associated with chronic kidney disease progression in an Asian population with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIM: We aim to examine difference in incremental direct medical costs between non-progressive and progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Singapore. METHODS: This was a prospective study on 676 patients with T2DM attending a diabetes centre in a regional hospital. Annual direct medical costs were extracted from the administrative database. Ordinary least squares regression was used to estimate contribution of CKD progression to annual costs, adjusting for demographics and baseline clinical covariates. RESULTS: Over mean follow-up period of 2.8 ± 0.4 years, 266 (39.3%) had CKD progression. The excess total follow-up medical costs from baseline was S$4243 higher in progressors compared to non-progressors (P = 0.002). The mean cost differential between the two groups increased from S$2799 in Stages G1-G2 to S$11180 in Stage G4. Inpatient cost accounted for 63.4% of total cost of progression. When stratified by glomerular filtration rate stages, the respective total mean annual costs at stages glomerular filtration rate Stages G3a-G3b and G4 were S$3290 (132%; P = 0.001) and S$4416 (135%; P = 0.011) higher post-progression. CONCLUSION: Chronic kidney disease progression in T2DM is associated with high medical costs. The cost of progression is higher with higher severity of CKD stage at baseline and could be largely driven by inpatient admission.

[Effects of endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide on early apoptosis of human neutrophil through PIM3].

Objective: To explore the effects of endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on early apoptosis of human neutrophil through PIM3. Methods: Venous blood samples were collected from a healthy adult volunteer to isolate neutrophils. The neutrophils were divided into control group, LPS group, and LPS+ PIM447 group according to the random number table. No treatment was given to the cells in control group. The cells in LPS group underwent LPS stimulation (1 µL, 1 µg/mL). The cells in LPS+ PIM447 group underwent PIM447 (1 µL, final amount-of-substance concentration of 5 µmol/L) intervention 30 min before having the same LPS stimulation as that in LPS group. After conventional culture for 1 h, the early cell apoptosis rate was determined with flow cytometer; the generation level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was assessed with dihydrogenrhodamine 123 fluorescent probe staining method; and the level of PIM3 was detected by Western blotting. After conventional culture for 2 h, the cell chemotaxis distance was measured by agarose chemotaxis cell model. The sample numbers of each group in the 4 experiments were all 5. Data were processed with one-way analysis of variance and Student-Newman-Keuls test. Results: (1) The early apoptosis rate of cells in LPS group [(0.891±0.012)%] was close to that in control group [(1.351±0.183)%, P>0.05)]. The early apoptosis rate of cells in LPS+ PIM447 group [(82.057±0.121)%] was higher than that in LPS group (P<0.01). (2) The cell chemotaxis distance of cells in LPS group [(984±5) µm] was significantly shorter than that in control group [(2 241±7) µm, P<0.01]. The cell chemotaxis distance of cells in LPS+ PIM447 group [(1 785±11) µm]was significantly longer than that in LPS group (P<0.05). (3) The generation level of ROS in cells of LPS group was significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.05). The generation level of ROS in cells of LPS+ PIM447 group was significantly lower than that in LPS group (P<0.05). (4) The expression level of PIM3 in cells of LPS group (1.297±0.015) was significantly higher than that in control group (0.789±0.021, P<0.05). The expression level of PIM3 in cells of LPS+ PIM447 group (0.731±0.011) was significantly lower than that in LPS group (P<0.05). Conclusions: LPS stimulation can reduce the early apoptosis of human neutrophils. Pre-intervention with PIM447 can significantly increase the early apoptosis of neutrophils after LPS stimulation, recover the chemotaxis, and inhibit the production of ROS. The mechanism may be related to LPS promoting the expression of PIM3.

Effects of Ulinastatin on myocardial oxidative stress and inflammation in severely burned rats.

OBJECTIVE: By constructing the severe burns model in rat, we explored the effects of different doses of Ulinastatin (UTI) on protecting myocardium from oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The severe burns model in rat was first constructed. Burned rats were intervened with different doses of UTI. Contents of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), Interleukin-1 (IL-1), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in rat serum and heart homogenate were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Activities of SOD (superoxide dismutase), CAT (catalase), GSH-Px (glutathione peroxidase), and MDA (malondialdehyde) were detected by commercial kits. The inflammation and pathological changes in rat heart were observed by HE (Hematoxylin-Eosin) staining. Protein expressions of Cox-2, iNOS, NF-κB, Nrf2, and HO-1 in rat myocardium were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: Higher levels of cTnI, IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α were found in model group than those of control group (p<0.05). Besides, decreased contents of cTnI, IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α were observed in both UTI 50 ku/kg group and UTI 100 ku/kg group compared with those of model group (p<0.05). Decreased activities of SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px, as well as increased MDA level were observed in model group than those of control group (p<0.05). However, UTI treatment remarkably elevated SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px activities, whereas downregulated MDA level in burned rats (p<0.05). Abundant infiltration of inflammatory cells was found in the rat's myocardium of model group, which was alleviated in UTI group in a dose-dependent manner. Upregulated Cox-2, iNOS, and NF-κB, as well as downregulated Nrf2 and HO-1 were found in model group compared with those of control group (p<0.05). UTI pretreatment remarkably reversed the above-mentioned trends. CONCLUSIONS: Ulinastatin alleviates myocardial injury induced by severe burns. It exerts a protective role in myocardium via inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory response.

Kinoform optics applied to X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy.

Moderate-demagnification higher-order silicon kinoform focusing lenses have been fabricated to facilitate small-angle X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) experiments. The geometric properties of such lenses, their focusing performance and their applicability for XPCS measurements are described. It is concluded that one-dimensional vertical X-ray focusing via silicon kinoform lenses significantly increases the usable coherent flux from third-generation storage-ring light sources for small-angle XPCS experiments.

Expression of estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha and -beta immunoreactivity in hippocampal cell cultures with special attention to GABAergic neurons.

This study investigated the expression patterns of estrogen receptor-alpha (ER alpha) and -beta (ER beta) in the cultured hippocampal cells of neonatal rats by combined application of cell culture and immunocytochemistry. The results revealed that the expression difference between ER alpha and ER beta seemed to be not obvious in the cultured hippocampal cells of neonatal rats. Moreover, immunoreactivity for either ER alpha or ER beta was observed to be localized in the majority of not only neurons but also astrocytes. The coexpression of both ER alpha and ER beta in the same individual cell was also demonstrated by the double-label immunocytochemistry. Western blot analysis showed that immunoreactivity for ER alpha in the neonatal hippocampal tissues was much higher than in the adult (became rather weak), although there was not such a great difference of immunoreactivity for ER beta. The data also provide direct evidence for the expression of ER subtypes within GABAergic neurons in hippocampal cell cultures and suggest that estrogen's effect on the hippocampus may be mediated at least in part by its ER-containing GABAergic neurons.

Direct projections from serotonergic neurons in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei of midbrain to the suprachiasmatic nucleus in Tupaia belangeri chinensis.

This study investigated the direct serotonergic projections to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) from the dorsal and median raphe nuclei (DR/MR) of the midbrain in Tupaia belangeri chinensis (TBC) by combined application of retrograde horseradish peroxidase (HRP) tract tracing, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscope techniques. The results provide evidence for the direct projections to the SCN from serotonergic neurons distributed predominantly in the MR (mainly in its lateral portion) and to a lesser degree in the DR (in its ventrolateral portion) more caudally in the midbrain, and the existence of abundant symmetrical and asymmetrical synaptic connections between the serotonergic terminals and the postsynaptic elements in the SCN TBC. The results also revealed that almost all DR neurons projecting to the SCN contained serotonin, whereas about one-half of MR neurons projecting to the SCN were immunoreactive for serotonin.

Expression of estrogen receptor -alpha and -beta immunoreactivity in the cultured neonatal suprachiasmatic nucleus: with special attention to GABAergic neurons.

This study investigated the expression patterns of estrogen receptor -alpha (ERalpha) and -beta (ERbeta) in cultured cells of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in neonatal rats by combined application of cell culture and double-label immunocytochemistry. The results revealed that the immunoreactivity for either ERalpha or ERbeta (with predominance of ERbeta) was localized in not only neurons but also astrocytes. The co-expression of both ERalpha and ERbeta in the same individual cell was also demonstrated by the double-label immunocytochemistry. The observations also provide a direct evidence for the differential expression of ER subtypes within GABAergic SCN neurons in vitro and suggest that estrogen's effect on the SCN may be mediated at least in part by its ER-containing GABAergic neurons.

PTEN controls tumor-induced angiogenesis.

Mutations of the tumor suppressor PTEN, a phosphatase with specificity for 3-phosphorylated inositol phospholipids, accompany progression of brain tumors from benign to the most malignant forms. Tumor progression, particularly in aggressive and malignant tumors, is associated with the induction of angiogenesis, a process termed the angiogenic switch. Therefore, we tested whether PTEN regulates tumor progression by modulating angiogenesis. U87MG glioma cells stably reconstituted with PTEN cDNA were tested for growth in a nude mouse orthotopic brain tumor model. We observed that the reconstitution of wild-type PTEN had no effect on in vitro proliferation but dramatically decreased tumor growth in vivo and prolonged survival in mice implanted intracranially with these tumor cells. PTEN reconstitution diminished phosphorylation of AKT within the PTEN-reconstituted tumor, induced thrombospondin 1 expression, and suppressed angiogenic activity. These effects were not observed in tumors reconstituted with a lipid phosphatase inactive G129E mutant of PTEN, a result that provides evidence that the lipid phosphatase activity of PTEN regulates the angiogenic response in vivo. These data provide evidence that PTEN regulates tumor-induced angiogenesis and the progression of gliomas to a malignant phenotype via the regulation of phosphoinositide-dependent signals.

Expression of estrogen receptor (ER) -alpha and -beta transcripts in the neonatal and adult rat cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and olfactory bulb.

In the present study expression of estrogen receptor subtype -alpha (ERalpha) and -beta (ERbeta) in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and olfactory bulb was investigated and compared between neonatal (1 to approximately 3-days-old) and adult (250 to approximately 350 g) rats, using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). No ERalpha transcripts were detectable in the adult cerebellum and olfactory bulb, whereas very weak expression of ERalpha was present in the adult cerebral cortex. No significant difference in ERbeta transcripts was detectable between the neonatal and adult rats. While transcripts for both ER subtypes were co-expressed in these brain areas of neonatal rats, although ERalpha expression was significantly weaker than ERbeta. Even in the cerebral cortex known to contain both ER subtypes in adult rats, ERalpha transcripts in neonatal rats were much higher than in adult. These observations provide evidence for the existence of different expression patterns of ERalpha/ERbeta transcripts in these three brain areas between the neonatal and adult rats, suggesting that each ER subtype may play a distinct role in the regulation of differentiation, development, and functions of the brain by estrogen.

[Medullary mechanism of the inhibition on renal sympathetic efferent activities by stimulation of the cervical vagal afferent nerve in rabbits].

Experiments were performed on 63 rabbits anesthetized with pentobarbital, paralyzed with gallamine triethiodide and ventiled artifically. Ipsilateral renal sympathetic nerve discharge (RSND), unit discharges of rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVL), caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVL) and blood pressure (BP) were recorded. The sympatho-inhibitory response were evoked by stimulation of the central end of vagal nerve (CVN) (731/788 exp.). The inhibitory duration is 3.6 +/- 0.185 s. The responses vary with the functional state of the CNS. The RSND inhibitory duration could be shortened or prolonged, depending on the excitatory background of RSND or the basal sympathetic tonic activity. The results indicate that CVN-induced inhibitory of RSND may be mediated, at least partly, by excitation of NTS and CVL, which results, in turn, in depressing RVL and final reduction of sympathetic efferent activity.

First-trimester prenatal diagnosis of severe alpha-thalassemia.

By means of chorion biopsy together with restriction endonuclease analysis of fetal DNA, first trimester diagnoses were successfully made in 33 fetuses at risk for Bart's hydrops fetalis. Seven pregnancies with Hb H or hydrops fetalis were therapeutically terminated before 4 1/2 months of gestation. Of the 26 pregnancies intended to continue, 18 have come to term with normal deliveries; one with threatened abortion was terminated at the end of the first trimester and, seven are progressing normally.