potential use in clinical therapy and prognosis estimation of the tumor.

ABSTRACT:Objective To explore the protective effect of the antioxidant N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) on the retinal nerve tissue of early diabetic rats .Methods We randomly divided 60 healthy adult Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rats weighing between 180 g and 220 g into 2 groups:normal control (CON , n=20) and diabetic (DM , n=40) .By intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) ,the model of diabetic rats was established .The rats were considered diabetic only when they had hyperglycemia (set at ≥16 .7 mmol/L) (32) .The CON group was injected with the same amount of citric acid and sodium citrate buffer solution .After successful model establishment ,the diabetic rats were randomly divided into 1‐month diabetes group and 2‐month diabetes group ,with 16 rats in each group .The left eye of each experimental diabetic rat was set for diabetes control group (D) while the right eye was set as NAC treatment group (NAC) .At 2 weeks of diabetes ,4μL (1 .6μg/μL) of NAC was injected into the vitreous chamber of NAC group and 4μL (0 .01 mmol/L) of PBS was injected into the vitreous chamber of the other diabetic rats .The thickness changes of outer nuclear layer retina was observed by HE ,ultrastructural changes of retinal ganglion cells were observed under the transmission electron microscope ,and the number of retinal ganglion cells was detected by immunofluorescence method .Results At different time points ,retina outer nuclear layer in NAC group was thicker than in D group (P<0 .01) .However ,the NAC group and the CON group did not differ (P>0 .05) .Under the transmission electron microscope ,NAC group had more retinal ganglion cell organelles ,higher electron density of the cytoplasm ,and milder mitochondria swelling than D group .The NAC group did not differ from CON group in the ultrastructure of retinal ganglion cells . NAC group had an increased number of retinal ganglion cells at different time points compared with the D group (P<0 .01) ,but the NAC and CON groups did not differ in the number of retinal ganglion cells (P> 0 .05) .Conclusion The antioxidant N‐acetylcysteine has a protective effect on the retinal nerve tissue of early diabetic rats .

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of combined four-chamber view,left and right ventricular outflow tract view and three-vessel view of two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) in prenatal screening for fetal congenital heart disease (CHD). MethodsFour combined views of 2DE were used to detect fetal hearts in 2419 fetuses at 21～ 25 gestational weeks.The echocardiograms were performed on all 2382 live-birth infants.Chi-square test was applied for statistical analysis.Sensitivity,specificity,positive predict value and negative predict value were calculated. Results The prevalence of fetal CHD was 11.62％ (281/2419).Among the 281 CHD fetuses,87.18％ were simple CHD (n=245) and 12.82％ were complex CHD (n=36).No difference was found in the positive rate of fetal CHD between the high-risk group and non-high-risk group [13.60％(34/250) vs 11.39％(247/2169),x2=1.069,P＜0.05].Thirty-six cases of CHD could be detected by the four combined views in prenatal screening with the sensitivity,specificity,positive and negative predictive value of 12.8％,99.8％,90.0％ and 89.7％,respectively.However,the diagnostic sensitivity of four combined views for simple CHD was 2.9％(7/245) and 80.6％(29/36) for complex CHD.The prevalence of neonatal CHD was 10.58％ (252/2382),including 241 with simple CHD and 11 complex ones. ConclusionsFour combined views of 2DE for prenatal screening is less sensitive in detecting simple CHD than complex CHD.Most of the complex CHD could be diagnosed by four combined views of 2DE before birth,but the misdiagnosis rate is high in simple CHD.The echocardiograms performed on newborns might make up for the lack.

An expression vector pET-28a-mGM-CSF-X10-βhCGCTP37 plasmid containing the βhCG and mGM-CSF gene was designed and constructed. The fusion protein was induced by lactose and purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and DEAE-cellulose anion exchange column. Then dendritic cells(DC)in C57BL/6J mice were extracted and sensitized by the fusion protein to obtain DC vaccine. The DC vaccine was inoculated to C57BL of / 6J mice with prostate cancer RM-1. The results indicated that the anti-tumor effects of DC group and DC combined with paclitaxel(DP)group were superior to that of paclitaxel(Pac)group(P< 0. 01), and the anti-tumor effect of DP group was better than that of DC group. Thus, the constructed DC vaccine can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer, and have synergistic anti-tumor when used with paclitaxel.

Objective: To compare the effects of 50 Hz 1.8 mT sinusoidal magnetic field (SEMF) and 50 Hz 0.6 mT pulsed electromagnetic field(PEMF) on the maturation and mineralization of rat calvaria osteoblasts. Methods: Primary cultured rat calvarial osteoblasts were divided into 3 groups:blank control group, SEMF group and PEMF group. The rats in SEMT and PEMT groups were treated with 50 Hz 1.8 mT SEMF or 50 Hz 0.6 mT PEMF for 90 min/d, respectively. Western blotting and Real-time RT-PCR were used to detect the protein and mRNA expressions of Collagen-1, bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), osterix (OSX) and Runt-associated transcription factor 2(Runx-2). The alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activity was detected by ALP test kits at d6 and d9 after treatment, and by ALP staining using azo coupling at d10 after treatment. The formation of calcium nodules was observed by alizarin red staining. Results: Compared with blank control group, the protein and mRNA expressions of Collagen-1, BMP-2, OSX and Runx-2 in SEMT and PEMT groups were significantly increased (P <0.01 or P <0.05); while the mRNA expressions of Collagen-1 and BMP-2 in PEMF group were significantly higher than those in SEMF group. After 6 days treatment, the activity of ALP in PEMF group was significantly higher than that in blank control group (P<0.05), while such difference was not observed in SEMF group (P0.05); after 9 days treatment, the activities of ALP in both PEMF and SEMP groups were significantly higher than that in blank control group (all P<0.05), but the difference between PEMF and SEMF groups was not significant (P0.05). After 10 days treatment, ALP staining was increased in both PEMF and SEMF groups compared with that in blank control group (all P<0.01), and the stained area was bigger in PEMF group than that in SEMF group (P<0.05). After 12 days treatment, calcium nodules were increased in PEMF and SEMF groups compared with that in blank control group (all P<0.01), and more calcium nodules were observed in PEMF group than SEMF group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Both 50 Hz 1.8 mT that in SEMF and 50 Hz 0.6 mT PEMF can promote the maturation and mineralization of osteoblasts, and the effect of PEMF is more marked.
Animals ; Calcification, Physiologic ; drug effects ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; radiation effects ; Magnetic Fields ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; radiation effects ; Rats ; Skull ; drug effects