Objective: To investigate the effect of serum growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods: Our research included 2 groups: AIS group,n=120 patients and Control group,n=60 normal subjects from regular physical examination. The serum levels of GDF-15 were examined within 24 hours of AIS attack by ELISA in both groups, the relationship between GDF-15 and the neurologic impairment was assessed. According to modiifed ranking scale score after 3 months follow-up study, the AIS patients were further divided into 2 sub-groups: Disabled group, the patients with MRS ≥ 2, n=65 and Non-disabled group, the patients with MRS < 2,n=55. The GDF-15 levels were compared between 2 sub-groups. Results: GDF-15 level in AIS group was 1594.00 (1128.00-2411.00) ng/L which was signiifcantly higher than that in Control group 656.00 (507.00-764.00) ng/L,P<0.05. GDF-15 level was positively related to neurologic impairment in AIS patients (r=0.390, P<0.001). Modiifed ranking scale score indicated that after 3 months of follow-up study, GDF-15 level in Disabled group was 2411 (2188-2569) ng/L which was much higher than that in Non-disabled group 1128 (980-1597) ng/L, (Z=-5.684,P<0.001). Conclusion: The serum level of GDF-15 was higher in AIS patients than normal subjects, it was positively related to neurologic impairment, AIS patients with higher GDF-15 would have poor prognosis.

Objective To study the effects of Tongqiao-Huoxue decoction on neuron apoptosis in the CA1 region of the hippocampus and the serum nidogen expression of vascular dementia(VaD) rats and to investigate its mechanism. Methods 40 healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a sham operation group, a model group, a TCM group, and a placebo group. VaD rat models were established by Olsson method. After the models were successfully prepared, the rats in the TCM group were fed Tongqiao-Huoxue decoction, the rats in the placebo group were fed distilled water. Morris water maze test was adopted to investigate their learning and memory abilities, TUNEL was used to assay hippocampal CA1 neurons apoptosis, ELISA kits was used to detect Nestin serum levels . Results The neuron apoptosis index in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in the TCM group was(37.01±2.23)%,which was(55.15±1.54)%in the placebo group;the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The serum nidogen was(4.47±0.31)ng/L in the TCM group, which was(3.42±0.43)ng/L in the placebo group;the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). Compared to the VaD group, escape latency in the TCM group in the third, forth, and fifth day was significantly shorter(P<0.05), the number of cross platforms were significantly increased(t=3.521, P=0.000). Conclusion Tong qiao-Huoxue decoction can improve learning and memory impairment in VaD rats, which may be associated with its increasing serum nidogen expression and decreasing the neuron apoptosis in hippocampal CA1.

Objective: To study the therapeutic method of treating hypertensive cerebral hemo rrhage and to evaluate the curative effects.Methods: Thirtynine cases (A group) with hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage wer e treated wit h therapeutic method of internal medicine and other 40 cases (B group) treated with internal medicine combined with traditional Chinese herbs fed via gastric tube plus drawing hematoma through skull pun cture.Results:The cured rate (32.5%) and effective rate (90.0%) in B group were signific antly higher than those in A group (10.3％ and 46.2％ respectively) meanwhil e the complete obsorbsion and clearan ce time of hematoma were significantly shorter,and the complications were lesse r.Conclusions:The therapeutic method of traditional Chinese herb fed via gastro tube combined with drawing through skull puncture for treating hypertensive cere bral bleeding is easy to manipulate and worth spreading.

ObjectiveTo explore the expression of hemopoietin(EPO) mRNA on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats brain tissue and the effect of Tongxinluo on it.Methods The model of rat (MCAO) were perfused with Tongxinluo,the changes of neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation related cell factors of EPO mRNA were detected after ischemia-reperfusion injury 3、5、7、14 d by means of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).ResultsEPO mRNA of ischemia-reperfusion models showed expression in different period,the expression enhanced in the third day,reached the highest in the fifth day; the ischemia side EPO mRNA expression enhanced in the third day after give Tongxinluo,in the 5,7 and 14 day,PCR expression gray values were higher than the model group.ConclusionEPO mRNA expression enhanced after cerebral ischemia,this expression can be strengthened by Tongxinluo,and may further induce neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation.

Objective To investigate the correlations between the hippocampal acetylcholine (ACh) content and neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampal CA1 region as well as the spatial memory impairment in a rat model of vascular dementia (VaD).Methods Forty male healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into either a VaD group or a sham operation group (n =20 in each group).A VaD model was induced by intermittently clipping common carotid artery.Microdialysis was used to collect dialysis solutions in rat hippocampus.High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis was used to detect the ACh content in the dialysis fluid.Morris water maze test was used to test their learning and memory abilities.TUNEL staining was used to detect neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampal CA1 region.Results Microdialysis analysis showed that the ACh content in the hippocampus in the VaD group was significantly lower than that in the sham operation group (0.442 ± 0.028 μmmol/L vs.1.560 ± 0.092 μ mmol/L; t =51.697,P =0.000).TUNEL staining showed that the apoptosis rate in the hippocampal CA1 region in the VaD group was significantly higher than that in the sham operation group (55.652％ ±2.051％ vs.6.530％ ± 1.872％ ; t =79.114,P=0.000).The escape latencies at different detection time points were prolonged significantly (At day 3:49.713 ± 18.161 s vs.13.322 ± 2.454 s; t =-8.881,P =0.000; at day 4:34.368 ± 7.424 s vs.10.503±1.415 s; t=-14.121,P=0.000; at day 5:30.676± 6.669s vs.7.311± 1.534 s; t=-15.270,P =0.000),and the numbers of cross platform were reduced significantly (3.768 ± 1.072 vs.10.218 ± 1.165; t =18.224,P=0.000).Pearson correlation analysis showed that the ACh contents in the VaD group were negatively correlated with the escape latencies (at day 3:r =-0.476,P =0.034; at day 4:r=-0.700,P=0.001; at day 5:r=-0.693,P=0.001).They were positively correlated with the numbers of cross platform (r =0.689,P =0.001),and negatively correlated with the neuronal apoptosis rates in the hippocampal CA1 region (r =-0.271,P =0.031).Conclusions The decreased ACh content,the increased neuronal apoptosis rate in the rat hippocampal CA1 region in the VaD model may be one of the mechanisms of cognitive impairment in VaD rats.

Objective To investigate and analyze the dwarf reasons for children in the area of Huai'an city,Jiangsu province.Methods A retrospective analysis of 92 cases of children with short stature in our hospital in recent 5 years had been made.Results The dwarf reasons for the 92 cases of undersized children were:lack of growth hormone (53.3％),physical sexual puberty delay (16.3％),hypothyroidism (9.8％),turner syndrome (7.6％),nanosoma essentialis (5.4％),familial short stature (4.3％),intrauterine growth retardation (2.2％)and glycogen storage disease type Ⅰ (1.1％).Conclusion The main dwarf reasons for children were growth hormone deficiency and physical sexual puberty delay,and medical treatment should be used as soon as possible.

Objective To label Flk-1+CD31-CD34-human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) and to evaluate the effect of SPIO on proliferation and neural differentiation of labeled cells. Methods hMSCs were incubated with SPIO (50 mg/L) and PLL (1.5 mg/L) overnight(12～18 hours). Both labeled and unlabeled cells went through growth curve test,Trypan blue staining and flow cytometer to evaluate the effects of SPIO on cell proliferation,cell viability and surface markers. Immunofluorescence assay was conducted for neuron and neuroglia specific cell surface markers after neural induction protocols were used. Results Cell viability of the two groups were both more than 90% for 7 days. There was no significant difference in cell viability and growth curve test between two groups. The results of flow cytometer showed that both labeled and unlabeled cells expressed CD44, CD105 and Flk-1 markers, while CD31 and CD34 were negative. After neural induction, the statistical analysis of A value for all the markers showed no significant difference between the two groups.Conclusion SPIO, as MRI cellular contrast, is safe and efficient.

Objective To express the recombinant mouse histidyl-tRNA synthetase (HARS) and maltose binding protein (MBP) gene in Escherichia coli and obtain the purified protein which possesses antigen specificity.Methods Total RNA was extracted from the myocytes of C57BL/6 mouse and reversely transcripted to cDNA.The gene of N-terminal origin of 591 base pairs was amplified,then cloned into pMALc-5e vector.The recombinant plasmid was transformed into Rosetta-gami B,then IPTG was used to induce the expression of HARS-MBP.Fusion protein was purified by affinity chromatograph.The molecular weight (MW) of HARS-MBP was roughly determined by SDS-PAGE.The antigen specificity was identified by Western blotting using anti-Jo-1 serum from patients,commercial anti-HARS and anti-MBP antibodies.Results The recombinant HARS-MBP protein gene was efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli,and the MW was consistent with predicted MW of 66 000.The fusion protein was specifically combined with its antibody.Conclusion The HARS-MBP fusion protein could be efficiently and steadily synthesized in Escherichia coli,which shows satisfactory antigen specificity and provides the key requirement for making a deep study of HARS in the pathogenesis of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy(IIM) and animal modeling of IIM.

Objective To explore the value of quantivtative intima-media thickness(QIMT) and quantitative arterial stiffness (QAS) technique on evaluating the elasticity of carotid artery in patients with essential hypertension.Methods One hundred and thirty-seven patients with primary hypertension were divided into two groups according with or without atherosclerotic plaques:hypertensive group without plaque (63 cases) and hypertensive group with plaque (74 cases),and 87 healthy aged subjects were selected as the control group.The intima media thickness (IMT) was tracted with QIMT software.The internal diameter (d),expansion (e),elastic coefficient α and β,compliance coefficient (CC),pulse wave velocity (PWV) and local systolic pressure (LOCPsys) were measured with QAS software.The differences of the parameters among the groups,and the relation with pressure and the correlation between the elastic indexs were analyzed.Results IMT,d,α,β,PWV and LOCPsys in hypertensive group increased,and CC decreased gradually with the lesion development of carotid aterial wall.There was difference in elastic indexs between the left and right carotid.The OR of α,β,PWV was comparatively large and the OR of β was the largest.There was positive relevance between the indexs of IMT,e,α,β,PWV,LOCPsys and systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure,and there was negative correlation between CC and systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure.The relevance between the elastic indexs was large.Conclusions The intima-media thickness of carotid increased gradually,and the elasticity decreased with the lesion development of carotid aterial wall in patients with hypertension.It can evaluate the arterial elasticity accurately and quantitavely using the QIMT and QAS technique.

Objective To investigate the expression of OPN, α-SMA, E-cadherin and their correlation in the chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) rat model, and to explore the possible role of OPN in CAN.Methods Orthotopic renal-transplantation using Fisher rats as donors and Lewis rats as recipients was done to establish CAN group, and Lewis to Lewis rats as control group. Rats in each group were sacrificed 12 weeks after the surgery. Blood and urine were collected for further test. Allograft samples were collected and sectioned for HE, Sirus-red staining, immunohistochemistry and Western blot.Results There were CAN morphological changes of the allograft in CAN group. As compared with control group, immunohistochemistry and Western blot revealed that the expression of OPN and α-SMA in CAN group was significantly increased, and that of E-Cadherin reduced. Its trend was correlated with the inflammatory response and the EMT of tubule epithelial cells.Conclusions OPN expression in rat CAN model is significantly up-regulated. OPN may play a role in CAN. OPN might affect the CAN by promoting EMT of tubule epithelial cells.