Objective To explore the value of applying flipped classroom in human parasitology. Methods Totally 430 students of 5-year program were divided into experimental group and control group. The experimental class received human parasitology teaching through flipped classroom teaching mode, while the control class received traditional teaching. The effect of teaching was evaluated by questionnaire and examination. The data were analyzed through t-test. Result Meanwhile, statistical difference was found in aver age score of total between experiment group and control group [(68.2 ±8.6) vs. (66.6 ±11.0), P=0.032]. There was also statistical difference in average score of comprehensive analysis [(16.4±3.2) vs. (16.1 ±3.9), P=0.038]. Questionnaire survey of satisfaction showed that 191 students of experimental class (90.95%) felt new teaching mode could improve autonomous learning ability, 199 students (94.76%) in-creased interest in learning;185 students (88.10%) had more interactive with teachers, 178 students (84.76%) enhanced cooperation between st udents, 186 students (88.57%) approved of small group discussion learning and 165 students (78.57%) had no extra burden. Conclusion Flipped classroom teaching mode can improve students' autonomous learning ability and cultivate their abilities of independent thinking, cooperation, criti-cism, innovation, analyzing and solving problems. Thus this new teaching mode is worthy of reference and popularization.

Objective To investigate the effect of acupuncture plus Chinese herbal medication on plasma endothelin (ET-1) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in child patients with mesenteric lymphadenitis.Methods One hundred and eighty child patients with mesenteric lymphadenitis were randomly allocated to groups A, B and C, 60 cases each. Group A received acupuncture at Zusanli and pricking Sifeng points plus oral administration of Wudang Babao Zijinding; group B, oral administration of amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium granules; group C, oral administration of Wudang Babao Zijinding alone. ET-1 and CGRP contents were measured in the three groups before and after treatment.Results There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in ET-1 and CGRP contents in group A (P<0.01). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in ET-1 and CGRP contents between group A and group B or C (P<0.01).Conclusions Acupuncture plus Chinese herbal medication is an effective way to treat mesenteric lymphadenitis in children. It can regulate ET-1 and CGRP in the patients.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect and mechanism of B16F10-ESAT-6-gpi/IL-21 tumor cell vaccine on pulmonary metastasis in mouse model of melanoma.

METHODSTwelve 8-week old female C57BL/6 mice were used in this study. The mice were injected with wild-type B16F10 cells through tail vein after immunization with B16F10-ESAT-6-gpi/IL-21 tumor cell vaccine, and the pulmonary metastasis was observed. The CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells were isolated by magnetic activated cell sorting, and then used for the detection of CFSE/7-AAD cytotoxicity by flow cytometry. Serum from the mice immunized with tumor-cell vaccine was used to detect IFN-γ expression by ELISA. The expression of TGF-β2, ZEB1, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin of tumor tissues was detected by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence, respectively.

RESULTSThe mice vaccinated with B16F10-ESAT-6-gpi/IL-21 had significantly fewer nodules in the lung and lower lung weight [(285.8 ± 19.01) mg vs. (406.3 ± 27.12) mg], with lower levels of TGF-β2, ZEB1 and N-cadherin proteins but higher level of E-cadherin protein within the tumor tissue, as compared with the control mice. Meanwhile, the immunized mice had significantly increased CD8(+) T cell killing activity [(42.62 ± 3.465)% vs. (22.29 ± 1.804)%] and IFN-γ expression level [(55.200 ± 7.173) pg/ml vs. (6.435 ± 1.339) pg/ml] over the control mice.

CONCLUSIONSThe B16F10-ESAT-6-gpi/IL-21 vaccine can inhibit the metastasis of melanoma in the lung in vaccinated melanoma-bearing mice. This inhibitory effect is associated with CD8(+) T cell immune response and a higher level of IFN-γ, which may influence on the mesenchymal-epithelial transition of tumor cells.

Animals ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Cancer Vaccines ; immunology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Female ; Homeodomain Proteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; metabolism ; Interleukins ; immunology ; Lung ; pathology ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; secondary ; Melanoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Organ Size ; Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta2 ; metabolism ; Zinc Finger E-box-Binding Homeobox 1

Objective To predict the structure and antigenic epitope of the Strongyloides stercoralis serine protease inhibitor 1 (Ss-SRPN-1) protein using bioinformatics tools, and to construct prokaryotic expression plasmids for expression of recombinant Ss-SRPN-1 protein, so as to provide the basis for unraveling the function of the Ss-SRPN-1 protein. Methods The amino acid sequence of the Ss-SRPN-1 protein was downloaded from the NCBI database, and the physicochemical properties, structure and antigenic epitopes of the Ss-SRPN-1 protein were predicted using bioinformatics tools, including ExPASy, SWISS-MODEL and Protean. Primers were designed according to the nucleotide sequences of Ss-SRPN-1, and the Ss-SRPN-1 gene was amplified, cloned and sequenced with genomic DNA extracted from the infective third-stage larvae of S. stercoralis as a template. The Ss-SRPN-1 protein sequence was cloned into the pET28a (+) expression vector and transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE) cells for induction of the recombinant Ss-SRPN-1 protein expression. The recombinant Ss-SRPN-1 protein was then purified and identified using Western blotting and mass spectrometry. Results Bioinformatics analysis showed that the Ss-SRPN-1 protein, which was composed of 372 amino acids and had a molecular formula of C₁₉₄₈H₃₀₄₆N₄₈₈O₅₇₅S₁₆, was a stable hydrophilic protein, and the subcellular localization of the protein was predicted to be extracellular. The Ss-SRPN-1 protein was predicted to contain 11 dominant B-cell antigenic epitopes and 20 T-cell antigenic epitopes. The Ss-SRPN-1 gene with a length of 1 119 bp was successfully amplified, and the recombinant plasmid pET28a (+)/Ss-SRPN-1 was constructed and transformed into E. coli BL21(DE) cells. The expressed recombinant Ss-SRPN-1 protein had a molecular weight of approximately 43 kDa, and was characterized as a Ss-SRPN-1 protein. Conclusions The recombinant Ss-SRPN-1 protein has been expressed successfully, and this recombinant protein may be a potential vaccine candidate against strongyloidiasis.