BACKGROUND:To delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, transplantation of viable and wel-differentiated stem cel s is expected to repair neural tissue, which has been an issue of concern. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of different doses of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cel s (hUCMSCs) on learning and memory ability of Alzheimer’s disease rats. METHODS:Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats, 7 months of age, were randomized into normal, model, high-, middle-and low-dose hUCMSCs groups (n=10 per group). Rats in model and UCMSCs groups were used to make Alzheimer’s disease animals through intraperitoneal injection of 150 mg/kg D-galactose for 90 days, and rats in the normal group were given intraperitoneal injection of normal saline for 90 days. In the three hUCMSCs group, passage 3 hUCMSCs at doses of 1×105/0.2 mL/20 g, 5×105/0.2 mL/20 g, and 1×106/0.2 mL/20 g were injected via the tail vein, respectively. Forty-five days after cel transplantation, Morris water maze test was used to detect rat’s learning and memory abilities, and hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe pathological changes of the rat hippocampal CA1 region. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the normal group, the rats in the model group showed significant reduction in the ability of learning and memory. Compared with the model group, the escape latency was significantly shortened in the middle-dose hUCMSCs group (P<0.05), while the number of passing times through the platform was increased significantly (P<0.05). In the model group, the cel s in the hippocampal CA1 region were arranged irregularly with unclear nucleoli and a part of cel s were concentrated and deeply stained. In the middle-dose hUCMSCs group, the cel s in the hippocampal CA1 region were arranged regularly with clear nucleoli, and only individual cel s were stained deeply. These findings indicate that middle-dose hUCMSCs transplantation can improve the learning and memory abilities of Alzheimer’s rats.

0.05). Conclusion The assumable reasons for the dominance of heterozygous ADH2 genotype were a relatively small size of samples or gene mutation etc,which needed further researches to be confirmed.The proportion of individuals carrying about "susceptible genotypes of alcohol_related diseases"in female child_bearing ages was more than one half (0.617),which called on the reinforce of the surveillance on and prevention of alcohol_related birth (ARBD).

Objective In this study,we aim to evaluate the risk and incidence of traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) in patients with traumatic cervical spinal canal stenosis (CSCS) without major fracture or dislocation,and evaluate the feasibility of preventive decompression surgery. Methods This study included eighty?seven patients with traumatic CSCI without major fracture or dislocation treated in our department between 2005 and 2012. Mann?Whitney U test was used for statistical analyses. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to calculate the relative and absolute risks for the incidence of traumatic CSCI without major fracture or dislocation related with CSCS. Results The relative risk for the incidence of traumatic CSCI with CSCS was 145.7 times higher than that for the incidence without CSCS. However ,only 0.000026% of patients with CSCS may be able to avoid developing traumatic CSCI if they underwent decompression surgery before trauma. Conclusions Prophylactic surgical management for CSCS might not significantly affect the incidence of traumatic CSCI.

AIM and METHODS: To study the protective effects of liposomes containing L-Arg,Se and taurine on intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. Wistar rats were divided randomly into sham operated group,ischemia-reperfusion(I/R) group,pretreatment with liposomes group and treatment with liposomes at reperfusion group. In the experiments, superior mesenteric artery was clipped for 60 min, and then unclipped. 2 hours of reperfusion later, MDA content, T-SOD and Ca 2+ -Mg 2+ -ATPase activities in intestinal tissues were detected respectively, ultrastructure and bcl-2 expression in intestinal mucosa tissue were observed. RESULTS: MDA content in liposomes-treated group was less than I/R group ( P 0.05). CONCLUSION: Liposomes containing L-arginine, Se and taurine can protect intestine against ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats,which may be related to inhibiting lipid peroxidation, stabilizing internal circumstances and inducing bcl-2 protein expression.

Object To optimize the best extraction of the total saponins in the root of Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker-Gawl. (RO). Methods The extract condition of total saponins in RO was observed by orthogonal design with ophiopogonis D as index. Results The optimum extract condition of RO was established. The more effective way was to smash RO to 5-10 mesh and extract total saponins in RO with ten times amount of 80% alcohol thrice by refluxing, one hour each time. Conclusion The total saponins in RO could be fully extracted in this condition.

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that thymosinβ4 can improve the anti-apoptotic ability of a variety of cells, but the reports describing the changes in the anti-apoptotic ability of bone mesenchymal stem cells modified with thymosinβ4 gene in the hypoxic environment are rare.
OBJECTIVE:To observe the change in the apoptotic rate of bone mesenchymal stem cells modified with thymosinβ4 gene in the hypoxic environment, and to explore whether thymosinβ4 affects the apoptosis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells via regulating the expression of Bax and Bcl-2.
METHODS:Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were transfected with the recombinant lentiviral vector over-expressing the thymosinβ4 gene, and then we observed the expression of thymosinβ4 using western blot assay. cells were divided into three groups:thymosinβ4 transfection group, control virus group, and untreated group. Al three groups were placed in a hypoxic environment. The apoptotic rate of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells was evaluated by the flow cytometry assay. The expression of Bax and Bcl-2 protein was detected by western blot.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Thymosinβ4 gene was expressed successful y in the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells showed by the western blot. The apoptotic rate of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the hypoxic environment was lower in the thymosinβ4 transfection group than the control virus group and untreated group;while there was no difference between the latter two groups. Western blot results showed that the expression of Bcl-2 protein was higher in the thymosinβ4 transfection group than the control virus group and untreated group, and the expression of Bax protein was lower in the thymosinβ4 transfection group than the control virus group and untreated group. No difference in the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 was found between the control virus group and untreated group. These findings indicate that thymosinβ4 overexpression can improve the anti-apoptotic ability of bone mesenchymal stem cells modified in the hypoxic environment, and its possible mechanism is through regulating the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 protein.

BACKGROUND:Nanohydroxyapatite/polyamide 66 composite is very close to the human cortical bone in terms of mechanical properties, and has osteogenic activity, which is a safe and reliable bone material. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of nanohydroxyapatite/polyamide 66 composite bioactive supporting material on the restoration of vertebral structure and height. METHODS: Totaly 177 patients with spinal diseases, 116 males and 61 females, aged 17-81 years, were enroled, including 97 cases of spinal fractures, 5 cases of primary tumors of the spine, 17 cases of spinal tuberculosis and 58 cases of cervical spondylosis. The nanohydroxyapatite/polyamide 66 composite bioactive supporting body was filed into the bone grafts of patients and then subjected to anterior decompression and internal fixation. After 36 months of folow-up, imaging analysis, Frankel spinal cord injury classification, bone graft fusion, visual analog scale scores,Short Form 36 and Japanese Orthopedic Association scores were evaluated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:During the folow-up, except one patient with cervical spine fracture appeared to have slight supporting body displacement, there was no supporting body prolapse or rupture phenomena. The bone graft fusion rate was 96.0%, the average supporting body sinking distance was 1.7 mm. After treatment, 97 patients with spinal fractures had different degree of improvement in the neurological function (P < 0.05); the visual analog scale scores, Short Form 36 and Japanese Orthopedic Association scores were improved significantly in al the 177 patients compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that the use of nanohydroxyapatite/polyamide 66 composite bioactive supporting material for spinal reconstruction can improve the bone fusion rate, and restore the vertebral structure and height effectively.

Objective To discuss the clinical value of procalcitonin (PCT) in guiding antibiotics use in children with severe diseases. Methods The clinical data of patients admitted to intensive care unit from January 2012 to July 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients without antibiotics use before admission and with procalcitonin level less than 0.5 ng/ml on admission were selected. The body temperature, infection indicators and prognosis were compared between patients with and without antibiotics use during hospitalization. Results There was no difference in body temperature, PCT, C-reactive pro-tein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and white blood cell count (WBC) on admission between patients with and without antibiotics use during hospitalization. The PCT level was increased signiifcantly (P<0.05) on the day of starting the an-tibiotics when compared with that on admission in 60 patients while there was no change in the levels of WBC and CRP. Com-pared with the day of starting the antibiotics, body temperature declined (P<0.05) and PCT level in 56 patients reexamined was decreased (P<0.05) at 3 days after antibiotics use. Two hundred and eleven patients (98.14%) had favorable prognosis. Conclu-sions Monitoring PCT can guiding the clinical use of antibiotics.

Objective To study the paracrine effect of hypoxic preconditioned umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) on the proliferation,migration and osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts.Methods UCMSCs were cultured under hypoxia and normal oxygen condition before two UCMSCs conditioned media were obtained.After that,MG-63 cells were cultured in three groups:hypoxia conditioned medium group,normoxia conditioned medium group and DMEM control group.The proliferation of MG-63 cells was detected by mosmann tetrazoline colorimetry( MTT) method after 1,3 and 5 days.The migratory ability of MG-63 cells was detected by scratch assay .After 21 days′culture , the formation of osteogenic calcium nodules was detected by Alizarin red staining.ELISA method was used to detect the content of vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF) in hypoxia and normoxia conditioned medium.Results The MTT test showed that the proliferation ability of MG-63 cells in hypoxia conditioned medium group and normoxia conditioned medium group was greater than in the DMEM control group.The difference was statistically significant ( P <0.05).Furthermore, the proliferation ability of cells in hypoxia conditioned medium group were much greater than cells in normoxia culture medium group.The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).Scrath assay showed that the migratory ability of MG-63 cells in hypoxia conditioned medium group and normoxia conditioned medium group was greater than cells in DMEM control group,and cells in hypoxia conditioned medium group was much greater than cells in normoxia conditioned medium group. After 21 days′culture,we found that the number of calcium nodules was the largest in hypoxia conditioned medium group, followed by normoxia conditioned medium group and DMEM control group.ELISA showed that the content of VEGF in hypoxia conditioned medium was higher than that in normoxia conditioned medium and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01).Conclusion The paracrine function of UCMSCs can be enhanced by hypoxia,thus improving the proliferation,migration and osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts.

AIM: To investigate the protective effect of ischemic-preconditioning under the mild hypothermia against small intestine ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats and its mechanism. METHODS: Thirty-two rats were randomized into 4 groups (8 rats in each group): sham operated group (Sham), ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) group, ischemic-preconditioning (IP) group, mild hypothermia ischemic-preconditioning (MHIP) group. The wet/dry ratio, Ca 2+ -Mg 2+ -ATPase activity in intestine tissue, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxdase (TAX) in blood were determined. Ultrastructure, Bcl-2 and Bax expression in intestinal mucosa tissue were also observed. RESULTS: After I/R, the intestinal tissue wet/dry ratio, the content of MDA, LDH activity, the optic density of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins were significantly higher in I/R group than those in sham group (P